Cups and Killers

by Tess Rothery

  “I was there. It’s true. Didn’t Hudson corroborate her story?”

  “She was with Hudson? Hudson East?” This time her eyes narrowed. “I suppose he’s only about six years older than her, but at eighteen, that seems pretty old.”

  “He’s more than six years older than her…” Taylor did the math fast, though it wasn’t hard. Hudson was…eight years older than Dayton.

  “Don’t tell me you’re still seeing him. Aren’t you living with Clay again?”

  “Sissy, where are you getting your gossip? First off, Clay rents an apartment from me. Second off…. no. There’s no second. Clay rents the apartment above the shop. I live in my house with Grandpa Ernie and Belle.”

  “Sounds like a good cover story to me.”

  “Does the whole town think I’m living with Clay?” Taylor set her coffee down and stared at her friend.

  “Dayna, Dayton’s mom, saw you out with some guy in a suit, with messy hair. Messy hair for men is not in style. So, she says you’re not living with Clay. I’ve heard you’re living with him, but you aren’t faithful.”

  “Humph. I’m not unfaithful, and I’m not living with Clay.” Taylor chewed on her cheek in annoyance. Clay was a good bookkeeper, and once or twice they’d gone out to dinner to talk business. That was all. Except sometimes he came over for movie night with the family. But that was all. Except for that one time, when she was really, really tired and they had been up all night doing inventory and he had kissed her. Well, she had kissed him. But she had been really tired, and that was all it had been. And it wasn’t cheating. Because she didn’t have an actual boyfriend, Clay or Hudson.

  “But you are seeing the boy with the messy hair?”

  “You can only mean John Hancock. First off, his hair isn’t ‘messy,’ just sort of tousled. And yes, we go out on occasion.”

  Sissy’s smile looked sly, like she had set Taylor up for that confession. “So, it’s off completely with Hudson then, is it? Because I heard you were seen at the tea party with him yesterday.”

  “You heard I was at the tea party with Hudson, but you didn’t hear that Leon, the chaplain, got a knife in the back?”

  “I did hear you and he were there together, but I thought you were living with Clay and refuse to believe you are a cheater.”

  “Thanks for that, I guess. But seriously, when I said he dropped Dayton off at your place, you assumed they were together? She’s a child.”

  “She’s a beautiful young woman.”

  This so closely reflected what Hudson had said that it caught Taylor off guard. Maybe Sissy was going the long way around to tell her something she was refusing to notice on her own. After all, eighteen was legal, and it wouldn’t be the first time a man in his mid-twenties went after an eighteen-year-old rather than a thirty-year-old. “I am dating Hudson.” There was a firmness to her words, as though she were staking a claim in him. “Just, not exclusively.”

  “Casually?”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  Sissy looked Taylor up and down like she had an expiration date. “And what about Reg?”

  “What about him?”

  “Are you also casually dating him?”

  “Is that not what ‘casually dating’ means? I had been under the impression that if you were not a couple with any particular person you could date anyone you wanted.”

  “It’s your life.”

  “Yes, it is.” Taylor sat up, stiff. It was her life, and it was none of the business of the good people of Comfort. “You didn’t hear anything on the radio about the murder, and no one is talking about it around town?”

  “I’m hardly a gossip, Taylor.” Sissy gave her a lemony look.

  “As you aren’t a gossip,” Taylor’s voice dripped with sarcasm, “let me tell you what I know.” Their waitress, one of the many Rueben cousins who started their work lives in the family diner, interrupted with their breakfasts. Taylor was thankful for the moment to compose herself. “Chef Joey was honoring Leon’s service to the care home with a fancy cake. She was making a speech, and while she was talking, he slumped over, first onto her and then he crashed into the cake. Everything got chaotic with people getting up and trying to leave. When I got close enough to see what was going on, I spotted a knife in his back.” Taylor sipped her coffee.

  Sissy was hardly spellbound, but nodded for her to continue.

  “Dayton was behind the action. She saw a shifty person who might have seen her. She thinks the person was in the right place at the right time to stab the chaplain. The person was dressed like a man, but was petite, so might have been a woman in disguise. The person disappeared in the mess that followed the stabbing.”

  “Well, that does match what Dayton claimed. Do you have anything new to add?”

  “Just that Dayton is scared. What are you going to do about it?”

  “I’m not her mother.” Sissy took a long gulp of her coffee.

  “She could use a stand-in.”

  “You do it. You don’t have your own kids.” Another up-and-down look from Sissy.

  Taylor did a little quick math and realized that Sissy had at least two of her kids by the time she was thirty.

  “Dale will be thrilled.” Taylor rolled her eyes. Dale had once made empty threats about Taylor’s family destroying Dayton’s future.

  “He’s not here, is he? Maybe this will soften him to you and Belle.”

  “Why is he making her join the military?”

  “To pay for college. Not everyone comes into money like you two did.”

  This time Taylor stiffened, and it was permanent. They hadn’t “come into money.” Their inheritance came at the cost of both of their parents’ lives.

  “Just because it was a tragedy doesn’t make me wrong.” Sissy shrugged. “I miss your mom something awful. She was a good friend.”

  Sissy had hardly been on her mom’s besties list, but Taylor granted that when someone died, they grew in importance in your life. “Dayton seems to hate the idea of the military.”

  “Kids are so unreasonable. She’ll be fine once she gets through boot camp.”

  Taylor shrugged. “Is Dayton at your place with Cooper?”

  “I don’t know. I headed straight out. I think Cooper needed to go to town today. Maybe he’ll take her with him.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  Dayton was on her mind all day as Taylor worked. She tried not to pester the girl, but texted her twice just to check in.

  Dayton replied the first time with a thumbs up and the second time with a simple “K.”

  At closing time, Taylor texted Belle. “Is dayton staying with us or cooper tonight?”

  “Dunno.” Belle’s response left much to be desired.

  “Can you ask her?”

  “I’m not going to be there.”

  Taylor curled her lip in disgust at the phone. Not that the phone was impressed. She had locked up the shop for the night and was alone, except for the sound of Clay’s footsteps upstairs. Ellery would be with Grandpa Ernie for another half hour, so Taylor headed up just to say hi.

  She knocked on his door, but didn’t wait to be let in. He looked up from his phone in surprise when he saw her. “You heard?” He held out the phone.

  “No. What’s to hear?”

  “There’s been another death at that old folk’s home.”

  Chapter Five

  Taylor sat down with a thunk, the hard, wooden dining chair an unforgiving surface. Another murder? Her throat felt like it was closing. Instead of letting panic get the better of her, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, held it for seven seconds, then let it slowly out her nose. Circular breathing. Her mom had taught it to her after her dad had died. Looking back, Taylor could tell she’d needed professional help. Her mom hadn’t been equipped to deal with the panic attacks she’d had after the fire.

  She pulled herself to the present. Thinking of past trauma was just another way of escaping current challenges. She refused to let her
brain betray her that way.

  The thing was, it was an old folks’ home. There were bound to be deaths there. She didn’t need to immediately panic.

  Clay was staring at her, not worried per se, but definitely curious.

  “Are you back yet?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. I hate it when you disappear like that. I was telling you something important.”

  “An old person is dead?”

  “Not an old person. One of the CNAs was found in the closet. It’s all over the news.”

  “Sissy hadn’t heard anything when we spoke this morning.”

  “They found her an hour ago.”

  “By ‘news,’ do you mean it’s all over Facebook?”

  He passed his phone to her without comment. His Facebook feed had exploded with the news. “I follow all of the quilt stores and a lot of quilters. It’s good for business.”

  “No one is saying anything useful.” Taylor gave him his phone back. The ladies of the Comfort, Oregon quilt world were all posting the same link to a spot from the radio station.

  Cricket Jones, had recently moved to Comfort for the job, had been found in the closet dead. No means were mentioned. There were no real details about Cricket except that she was sweet, good with the elderly, and in her mid-forties. Taylor wanted to know the good stuff. Was this woman a drug user? Did she have a violent ex? Where had she lived before Comfort? Who did she spend her time with? Was she even a quilter? “Wait, let me see that again.”

  He gave it back.

  Cricket had been tagged in several of the memorial posts, so Taylor clicked her name. Her friends list was private, her photos were private, and the “about” page wasn’t filled out. Useless. She gave it back again. “I should call Reg and find out what’s going on.” Taylor got up to leave.

  “Did you come here for a reason?”

  “What? No.” Taylor looked at Clay for the first time. He was sock-footed and in a t-shirt and boxers. His thin short hair was a little messy, but not in a stylish way that John Hancock managed. “Sorry.”

  “Weirdo.”

  She caught his last word as she left but didn’t give it much thought. Reg would know more about this Cricket woman, and he’d also know if she should be worried about Dayton or not. She called him, but there was no answer.

  Taylor gave Reg another call the next morning. There was still plenty of time before the shop opened, so she made herself a cup of coffee in their Keurig and settled into Grandpa’s golden-brown, threadbare, corduroy recliner.

  Reg answered his cell on the first ring. “Hey you, it’s early.” He had a sexy voice in the morning. A little gravelly, a little slow. She’d not heard him in the morning before.

  “It is, I’m sorry.”

  He cleared his throat and his froggy voice returned to normal. “It’s nice you called. I was thinking about you.”

  “I was thinking about you too.” Taylor tucked her knees up and rested her chin on them. She had been thinking about him, but not necessarily in the way he meant. He didn’t have to know that.

  “Are you free this evening? I want to drive off with you somewhere far away and show you something marvelous.

  “Reg!” Taylor laughed, embarrassed by what he might want to show her.

  Like Hudson, Reg was a broad-shouldered, strong manly-man, and it occurred to her he might really be something marvelous to behold.

  He laughed, too, a bit chagrinned at what her horrified tone implied. “I just mean some waterfall or mountaintop. Something to impress you.”

  “You’re something else.” She sighed, his romantic idea hitting a sweet spot. She’d never understand how she’d come across such a richness of single men in such a small town when all she’d managed to find in Portland was Clay.

  “So, are you free?”

  “I can be. Belle will be home tonight, so she can stay with Grandpa.”

  “I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.”

  “Should I dress for an adventure?”

  “Better dress for dinner out, instead. I’m not sure I can drum up a good adventure in one day.”

  “Basically, the same then?”

  He laughed. The Pacific Northwest was notoriously casual.

  That was part of what made going out on dates with John Hancock fun. He always dressed for an occasion, so Taylor did too. Very unlike the rest of the world they lived in. Her mind did a quick, whirlwind comparison of the two men.

  At least John Hancock knew where he stood, firmly in the friend zone.

  Usually.

  “See you at seven-thirty,” Reg said.

  “Wait! Before you go?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you know anything about the murder over at Bible Creek Care Home?” Taylor sat up to knock the romantic notions out of her brain.

  “Oh.” The disappointment in his voice was acute.

  She hadn’t called him about a crime or a murder in months and months, so she didn’t know why he was upset about this one.

  “I’ve actually been off all week. Vacation time.”

  “Oh.” Now her disappointment was obvious.

  “Is dinner off if I can’t give you inside scoop on a murder?”

  “No, of course not. Let’s go away together and be amazed by some super delicious food.”

  “Thanks, Taylor. See you at seven-thirty.” He hung up.

  She scowled at her phone. Dinner with Reg would be nice, it always was, but to be brutally honest with herself, she’d rather eat with Hudson or John Hancock, or…even Clay.

  Poor Reg.

  The day was long and quiet. Few customers, and Roxy had the first half of the day off. Taylor missed having Grandpa Ernie around to chit chat with, so she called him at noon, an hour after they’d opened.

  Ellery answered.

  “Hey, Elle, can I talk to Grandpa?”

  “Sure…” She paused. “He’s a bit tired, though, just so you know.”

  “Has he been on his oxygen yet this morning?”

  “He won’t. He says he’s just fine.”

  Taylor closed her eyes for moment and sighed. “He can be a pretty stubborn patient, can’t he?”

  “Very much so.”

  “Did he eat?”

  “Yeah, a little breakfast, then a midmorning snack. We’re about to do lunch.”

  “I’ll give it a try, anyway.”

  “Who’s this?” Grandpa Ernie answered like Taylor was a solicitor with a thick accent.

  “Just Taylor, Grandpa. Just wanted to say hi.”

  “I’m the only tailor in this family.”

  “Taylor, your granddaughter.”

  “I know what they named you, but it’s a dumb name for a baby girl. Your dad was an idiot. Thought I’d like it. I said they should have named you after Delma. That’s a real pretty name for a lady.”

  “It is. Delma’s a beautiful name.”

  “Then your mother named that baby Belle. Like a bell? What’s wrong with her?” He was certainly in a mood, but he seemed to remember who everyone was.

  “I picked that one, Grandpa. Belle was my favorite princess.”

  “You don’t know any princesses.”

  “She’s in a movie. She was my favorite Disney Princess.”

  “Dumb thing to name a baby. What are you going to name the next one? Fabric because you work in a fabric store?”

  “No one’s having a baby, Grandpa.”

  “That’s right they aren’t, because none of you are married. That’s why.”

  “So, having a good morning?”

  “No.”

  “I hear another person died at the old folks’ home.” Taylor could have kicked herself for saying this. It was what popped into her head because she figured Cricket was having a worse day than Grandpa was, but this was not the thing to say to make him want to move there.

  “I told you that’s where folks go to die.”

  “Well, I mean…”

  “It just goes to show, young lady. Y
ou want me to move there so I’ll die. I don’t need to move because I have my own house. You’re the one who needs a house.”

  Though Taylor had inherited her mother’s house, where she lived with her grandfather and where Belle stopped by on college breaks, she did not correct him.

  “And I don’t need a babysitter. You say she’s a housecleaner, but she certainly doesn’t clean the house all day long, and she’s always yelling at me about oxygen.”

  “I doubt she yells at you, Grandpa.” This conversation was less satisfying than the call to Reg had been. When another call beeped through, she was filled with relief. “Gotta go, Grandpa, sorry.

  “I bet you’re not.”

  She switched to the other call. “This is Taylor.”

  “Taylor!” The sonorous tones of her Grandmother Quinny greeted her. “So glad to hear you. It’s a terrible thing about young Cricket at the care home. You really can’t send your grandfather there.”

  Taylor sighed. This call was not the escape from her grandparent problems that she had hoped it would be. “I promise I won’t move him till the murder is solved.”

  “And who’s going to solve it? That Leon was killed right in front of all of us, and they didn’t catch the guy, and now Cricket? She was a lovely thing. She was your cousin Danielle’s husband’s niece.”

  “Adam’s niece? He’s not much older than I am, and Cricket was in her forties, wasn’t she?”.

  “Wait, you’re right. I think she was his aunt.”

  “Maybe his sister or his cousin?”

  “No, not that…. well, anyway, she was practically family, and she died in such a terrible way. I don’t want any of you going around there anymore.”

  “Ellery won’t love this change of plans.” Taylor began to pace the store, stopping at each shelf to wipe imaginary dust from the little bit of wood that showed in front of the bolts of fabric.

  “Bible Creek Care Home isn’t the only place you can send him.” Grandma Quinny was always so confident.

  “Grandma, I’m sorry, I’m at work. Can we have this conversation later?” For the last year and a half, Bible Creek Care Home had been the only place and if Taylor didn’t send Grandpa Ernie there, then she was a fool. Not just according to Grandma Quinny, but to everyone else in town. Even Clay, who really had no idea what was what, was on team “send Ernie to Bible Creek Care Home.”