by Rosie Sams
"How did you get so dirty?" Melody asked.
"After Alexis threw the drink in his face, I was so angry. My dress was ruined. I'll never get those stains out. To cheer me up, Ronald suggested we go to Mission Lake for a romantic, midnight swim. It's our favorite spot. I left first with the understanding that he would follow right behind me. He wanted to say goodbye to Penelope. When I got to the lake, I set out the blanket. That's when I started to receive these messages about breaking off our relationship. At first, I thought he was joking. His messages made no sense at all. We had such a deep connection so fast, you see. I got flustered by the messages. I wasn’t watching where I was walking, and I fell when I was trying to get back to the car."
"Didn't Ronald lose his phone?" Melody asked.
"Oh, did he, no, he can’t have done. I have been getting texts."
"So, you're saying you were at Mission Lake at the time of the murder?" Alvin observed her reaction to his question.
"Yes! I left him alive, and I was at the lake up until now, obviously!" She moved her hand over her ruined dress to remind him of the grass stains and the dirt she just explained.
Alvin stepped away from Colleen and motioned Melody to follow. He showed her the texts.
"Look at the times on these texts. Are they in line with what you witnessed?" He handed the phone to Melody so she could scroll on her own.
"Yes, I was outside with Smudge during the time of these two last texts. We went for a walk to get some fresh air."
"And here, look at these texts." He pressed his finger to the phone and scrolled up. "You see how in these exchanges, before the event, he refers to her as 'Dove.' He never refers to her by name. I suppose it's some sort of nickname." Then, Alvin scrolled to the section of texts that Colleen would have received around the time of the murder. "Now, look at these, he refers to her as Colleen, and he even misspells her name using one ‘L.’"
"These messages were definitely sent by someone other than Ronald." Melody sighed deeply. "You don't think Colleen had anything to do with the murder though, do you? I saw her leave the reception. Ronald was alive, and she is covered in dirt."
"She is, but she could have also left through the front, rolled around in the dirt, and then slipped in the back door. You saw how irate she was, and by her own admission, she confirmed that Ronald treated her exactly how he treated Alexis."
Alvin walked back to Colleen, and Melody followed.
"Ms. Thorne, it appears you've got a convenient alibi; however, I'm advising you not to leave town while there's an ongoing investigation."
Colleen jumped to her feet and raced for the door, but Kerry intercepted her accidentally!
"I didn't kill him! I love him! He promised me we'd be together forever!" Colleen said to Kerry, who found herself holding the sobbing woman to her chest. She looked toward Melody for help, but Melody shrugged hopelessly.
“Talk to her,” Melody silently mouthed the words. She could use Kerry’s help right about now while she and Alvin focused on the investigation.
"There, there, it'll be all right." Kerry frowned as she stroked Colleen’s hair, reluctantly at first, but she certainly couldn’t stop consoling the woman now. Kerry may not have been supportive of pageantry, but she wasn’t going to let another woman hurt alone. So, she sighed and accepted her role in Melody’s grand scheme of things. "Tell me about Ronald. It may help to get it off your chest."
Satisfied that Kerry had Colleen handled, Melody turned her attention back to aiding Alvin. "Something doesn't feel right at all."
"What's on your mind, Mel?"
"Well, Colleen is an emotional wreck. We can probably find a way to verify that she was at the lake. But, look over there." She pointed toward Denise, Ramona, and Penelope. "Do you see how calm Ramona is?"
"Isn’t she one of Atkins’ other lovers? I thought you mentioned her?" Alvin asked as he studied the young woman’s body language from across the room.
"Yes, and she was a mess all day. She's been crying since the morning, and now she's so collected. Plus, that's her mom talking to Penelope, and that woman could make a Zen master a nervous wreck."
"I'll talk with them, but first, I have to go meet with the coroner. Stay out of trouble." Alvin gave Melody a quick kiss and headed off for the office.
Kerry stayed with Colleen.
Unsettled by the scene, Melody called for Smudge, who had gone to Leslie in search of butter cookies. Together, they approached Denise, Ramona, and Penelope.
"Honestly, Penelope, I don’t know how you handle all this stress. Between the weight of the pageant and finding Ronald dead, you must be in a state of shock," Denise Newman said.
Ramona nodded silently in agreement.
"Good evening. I thought you two left," Melody said to Denise and Ramona as she approached with Smudge at her side.
"We did not." Denise's tone was terse as she corrected Melody.
Melody suspected Denise thought she was a nuisance.
"If you must know, I was in a dressing room with my daughter. We've been here the whole time."
"You two seem unaffected by Ronald's murder. I thought you would be upset, Ramona. Wasn’t he a close friend of yours, maybe even a little more than a friend?” Melody asked.
Penelope looked up at Melody then to Ramona suspiciously. Ramona was visibly taken aback by Melody's question.
"Mr. Atkins is ... was a lovely man and an acquaintance. I'm sad for his family and for Ms. Cross, of course, for having to find him in such a manner."
How rehearsed and robotic of her, Melody thought. It was as if she was answering a pageant question. Melody also noticed Denise's eyes boring into Ramona as if telepathically willing her to respond a certain way. She nodded in time with Ramona's response as if approving her statement.
"Yes, we’re all very sad about the poor man's demise, but as the saying goes, 'the show must go on,’" Denise said, smiling contrarily as she added to Ramona’s formal statement.
But you're not sad, Ms. Newman. In fact, you look quite cheerful.
Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Four
Alvin blew on the cup of coffee Leslie handed to him. She and Kerry had set the dessert station up with leftovers and coffee for those that were still at the reception center.
"I needed this," he said to Melody as he took a big sip. "I spoke with the coroner and got a closer look at that sash. It does appear to have red stains on it, like the ones on Colleen's dress. We’re going to process both to make sure they’re a definite match. This guy, Ronald, sure had a way with women."
"I believe it. Good ol’ Ronnie tried to have his way with me, too."
Alvin's eyes narrowed behind his cup as he paused mid-sip. Melody thought she saw smoke coming out of his ears, but it was just the steam coming off the top of the hot coffee.
"Don't worry. I can take care of myself, Sheriff Hennessey." Melody grinned and kissed him quickly.
"Oh, I know you can, but that doesn't mean I'm not annoyed at his advances toward my fiancée."
Melody blushed. It always tickled her when Alvin called her "his" fiancée.
"That's how I knew he lost his phone."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Ronald wanted me to put my phone number into his cell phone, but when he went to pull it from his pocket, he noticed the phone was gone."
"That supports our theory that someone else texted Colleen from his phone."
"Indeed," Melody said with a nod of affirmation. "He said it's in a gold case, and that his initials are engraved on it."
"I'll let the deputies know to keep their eyes open for a phone fitting that description. In the meantime, let's go talk to Ramona and her mother. I saw them as they headed toward the dressing rooms. I have a few questions for them."
Alvin radioed the information to the deputies, including the one he had sent to investigate Mission Lake. Then, the pair, along with Smudge, sought out Ramona and Denise.
In the back dressing room, Ramona sat facing the va
nity mirror. She was finally out of the magenta gown and now wore a fluffy pink robe over street clothes. Denise criticized her daughter while brushing the girl's hair. With each stroke, Ramona winced.
"Now, remember, back straight, stomach in, chin up, and smile!"
"Yes, Mother. Ow!"
"Beauty requires a little pain, dear."
Alvin knocked on the door to get their attention as Melody introduced them. "Ramona. Ms. Newman. I'd like you to meet Sheriff Hennessey. He has some questions regarding this evening's events." Then, as she stepped aside to give him the floor, she whispered, "Good luck, Al. You're going to need it."
"Honestly, Sheriff!" Denise said in a huff. "It's so late, and Ramona needs her beauty sleep. This stress is not conducive to the health of her skin. She will lose her glow. We need to do this another time. We've been here long enough, and it's hardly acceptable for you to be in her dressing room while she's indisposed."
"This won't take long," Alvin said flatly.
Melody smiled proudly as he didn't let the mother hen kick him out of the room. "Ramona, eyewitnesses report that you got upset after Alexis threw her drink in the deceased’s face and that you left the vicinity immediately after the incident. Can you tell me where you went?"
"Well, I can't really remember," she said, stalling as she looked at her mother for guidance.
"As it stands right now, you're a prime suspect. It would be beneficial for you if you would think hard and cooperate. We know you had an intimate relationship with the deceased. Jealousy is a dangerous weapon, Miss Newman."
"Now, wait a minute, Sheriff Hennessey! How dare you accuse my daughter of foul play! I will not let you stand here and attempt to intimidate her or smear her good name with your allegations!" Denise almost exploded with rage. "Ramona, get your things. We’re leaving. You need your rest before the pageant." Then, she turned back to Sheriff Hennessey. Apparently, she had more to say. "And you, sir, will not so much as ask my daughter for the time of day without a lawyer present!"
"Well, ladies, in lieu of a pageant this year, you'll be participating in a murder investigation. The only question is, who will be turning in their crown for a pair of cuffs? If I were either of you, I wouldn't leave town any time soon."
"Well, isn't that fortunate, Ramona? If the event is pushed back, you'll have time to get the frog out of your throat." Denise grabbed her big designer bag that housed her large lint roller and hooked it over the crook of her arm.
As the bag moved. Smudge's ears went up, and her nose twitched at the sight of it.
"You have no soul, you evil woman!" Melody said, enraged at Denise’s off-handed comment regarding the pageant’s delay. As Denise shoved passed them, Smudge trotted behind her, but she was really following the bag. Melody watched Smudge curiously move with it as Denise spun suddenly to face Melody.
"You have no idea what I’ve sacrificed or what my daughter has sacrificed to get to this point. Go back to your cupcakes and mind your own business!" But as Denise yelled at Melody, Smudge barked at the bag then jumped up, tapping it with her front paws. Denise yanked the bag away from Smudge. "Get away from me, you mangy mutt, before I use my lint roller to remove your fur!"
Melody gasped, and Smudge growled! The only thing that saved Denise at that moment was Alvin holding Melody back by the arms.
Denise stormed off quickly, commanding Ramona to follow, but as she did, the girl looked back at Melody. Her eyes apologized silently, and Melody was sure that Ramona knew more than she was letting on.
Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Five
A few days later, Melody entered the sheriff's station with a box of croissants and a couple of coffees to find more than a dozen beautiful women lined up and waiting to see her fiancé.
"Interviewing for a new bride?" she asked playfully.
"Never, my love. As it turns out, Ronald Atkins had affairs with all these women and guess what? He promised all of them a fruitful future. Wilbur and I are interviewing them today."
She handed him one of the coffee cups. "It looks like you and Wilbur are going to need sustenance. I brought you your favorite croissants." She set down the tray holding the other coffee cups and popped open the lid of the Decadently Delicious box.
Alvin inhaled the scent of the fresh baked goods that caused him to lick his lips. "You, my future bride, are a lifesaver,” he said.
"You only love me for my goodies," she teased him.
Alvin grinned and kissed her. Then, he picked up a stack of papers.
"You know what these are?"
"With a stack like that, I’m going to guess love letters from Ronald. That’s my final answer."
"Close enough." He touched a fingertip to Melody's nose. "These are 'cease and desist' letters sent to Ronald by Penelope. She sent one for each woman he was allegedly dating. Penelope was fully aware of Ronald’s philandering ways. She wanted him to stop compromising the dignity of the pageant, especially since she was concerned that it already might have a stigma against it."
"They're all so young," Melody said as her eyes moved from woman to woman.
"I guess that's how he liked them."
"That's not exactly true."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"When he hit on me, I told him I was too old for him, but he insisted he was an equal opportunity pervert - I mean lover," Melody said with a laugh.
"I agree you're no spring chicken, but I would hardly call you old." Alvin’s sassy comment earned him a smack on the arm from Melody.
"That's not what I meant! You better watch it, or I'll take back those croissants." She winked, teasing him. "I'm simply pointing out that Colleen, Alexis, and Ramona are all under 25 years old. I suspected he had a pattern."
He rubbed his arm, where Melody smacked it. "Yes, and if you look at all the pretty girls lined up in a row in my waiting room, they all fit that same pattern. What's your point?"
"What if he really was an equal opportunity lover? What if he did date women of all ages? Couldn't he have also had an affair with Penelope? That stack of letters could have been sent to protect the dignity of the pageant, or they could have been sent to protect Penelope's dignity."
"Do you know how sexy you are when you're working an angle?" Alvin moved in to give his girl a quick kiss.
"You're on duty."
"I am, unfortunately. But your theory is a good one. Penelope is on her way here. I'll grill her about her own relationship with Atkins. Maybe she will crack under the pressure of a good old-fashioned interrogation."
"Or maybe just give her one of my croissants and ask her nicely," Melody said, suspecting he may succeed better in using a “get more flies with honey” approach.
After about an hour of interviewing Ronald's collection of jilted lovers, Penelope arrived.
“Tell us about the pageant,” Alvin said, starting off with a question that was designed to get her talking.
"Pageants have always been vehicles of success for women. They open doors for the girls, and not just the winners. It hurts me to see that in today’s time, the contests get such a bad rap.” Her face lit up when she spoke, and her passion was evident in her voice.
“And what about the cease and desist letters?” Alvin asked.
“Ronald's messing around with the contestants did two things; it distracted them from focusing on their independence and future, and it cast a dark cloud over the contest itself. Some women put all their hopes in this opportunity. Ronald was just a selfish man, and I wanted to stop his bad behavior." Penelope dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she explained the nature of the letters to Sheriff Hennessey and Melody.
"I'm sorry I have to question you like this, but did you take extreme measures to make Mr. Atkins stop?" he asked as he observed her reaction.
"There is no way I would commit such a violent act as strangling a person. Yes, he was a lecherous predator. Yes, he was pompous, and yes, he took liberties that no man of his age should take with impressionable young women trying to bett
er their lives. But, I did not and could not kill him, nor was I having an affair with the man. He's not my type."
"Thank you for answering the question, Ms. Cross."
"The woman you want to investigate more thoroughly is Alexis Garnett. She has proven to be a very jealous woman. On more than one occasion, she has made a scene regarding Ronald. Her little demonstration during the reception wasn't her first. Do you know what her special talent is?"
"Her talent?" Melody asked.
"Yes. Each girl is required to demonstrate a unique talent. Alexis is a blackbelt in Judo." Penelope let her comment sink in while Alvin and Melody looked at each other.
"The art of Judo specializes in…" he said.
"Chokeholds." Melody finished his sentence.
Penelope nodded with a sly smile.
Alvin excused Penelope then locked himself in his office with Melody and Smudge, who was curled up on a bed next to Alvin’s desk, snoring loudly.
"So, let's work the clues. Alexis, Colleen, Ramona, and now Penelope all had a motive, along with only a dozen or more women that came through here today." He sounded hopeless as he squeezed a stress ball.
"Yes, and we know Ronald was definitely having affairs with Alexis, Ramona, and Colleen. We're not quite sure about Penelope."
"Correct. We also know that Alexis also had the know-how to strangle Ronald."
"But she was so drunk, would she have had the strength?"
Both of them went silent as they considered every detail until Melody spoke first.
"Remember when we last saw Ramona and her mother? Ms. Newman left first. Then, she was really rude to Smudge." Alvin nodded, listening. "When Ramona left after her mother, she looked back at me the very same way she did the first day I met them. It was almost ... apologetic. I just can't help but wonder if Ramona knows more than she’s saying. I think we need to get her away from her controlling mother. Then, she'll really sing."
"Let's go find them. Either way, I know one thing... we'll get our man or woman. We always do," Alvin said confidently, just before he stole a sweet kiss from Melody’s lips.