by Rosie Sams
Smudge sat and watched them go, whimpering a little before turning and trotting back to Melody.
“What do you make of that?” Alvin asked.
Melody shook her head, she wasn’t sure. Was Smudge simply drawn to the lady of the house because she wanted to play with Elvis again, was she comforting her, or did Sandra know more than what she was saying? Had Smudge witnessed something while playing with the Reids’ pug?
After a few more interviews, Alvin and Melody made their way over to the Briggs family. Melody knew that Alvin had not gone straight to them on purpose. He was letting them sweat, if they were guilty, the longer it took for an interview the more worked up they would be. Alvin had let them notice him looking at them as he made his way around the party.
Turning over a page in his notepad with exaggerated care Alvin fixed his gaze on Mr. Briggs. The portly man went even redder. The blue veins on his bulbous nose spoke of his affinity for alcohol and Melody wondered if this was in fact their killer. Smudge stood at her side, the lead loose paying him no attention.
“Mr. Briggs, I heard a rumor that Victor Glass altered your daughter’s grades. What do you say to that?” Alvin went straight in for the kill. Having watched the man he would alter his interrogation technique to get the most out of that question and this worked. Mr. Briggs was shaking, only soon the anger turned to a laugh and both Melody and Alvin took a step back.
“Do you care to explain your amusement?” Alvin asked.
“Well, if I paid Victor to alter young Mary’s grades I didn’t get much for my money,” he said and rubbed the top of his daughter’s head. She was a sweet-looking girl, a little plain but she seemed happy. She was not quite what Melody had expected.
“Please explain,” Melody said.
“Well, we were just like the Reids, pushing our daughter to be what we wanted and making her mean and unhappy. Finally, she sat down and spoke to us and said she didn’t want to go to college. That was when we realized what we had done. You can check Mary’s grades, we are proud of them, but they wouldn’t be worth killing for.”
Alvin asked a few more questions but Melody knew these people weren’t the killer; after all, Smudge had ignored them.
Melody and Alvin watched the Briggs’s walk away. “It could still be them,” Alvin said.
“How do you get that?” Melody asked.
“Well, if they paid for good grades and got poor ones they have a motive.”
Melody groaned and Alvin laughed.
“Okay, I do tend to see everyone as a suspect. I think maybe they didn’t do it but let’s not rule them out just yet.”
Melody smiled and leaned against him as they shared a moment of privacy before returning to questioning the guests.
Chapter Two Hundred Sixty-Nine
It was a few days later and Melody, Leslie, and Kerry were all taking a coffee break. They had worked hard all morning and the shop had been particularly busy. Luckily, at last, it had gone quiet and so they took the time to sneak into the break room and have a coffee and a chocolate chip muffin.
“How’s the case going?” Kerry asked before taking another sip of her coffee. For once her sentences seemed about the same as everyone else’s. Maybe because this was her first coffee break in a few hours and she needed her breath to inhale the hot beverage.
Melody let out a long sigh. “Alvin is no closer to making an arrest at the moment. While both Franklin and Kirsten have a motive for the murder, no one at the party recalls seeing either of them leaving the premises. My gut says it’s not Kirsten… but maybe I just feel sorry for her.”
“Me too,” Leslie said. “As in, I feel sorry for her. It was very busy at that party, the lack of a solid eyewitness means nothing.”
“She’s right,” Kerry said joining the conversation with gusto. “There were so many guests at the party. Everyone was milling around this way and that way talking and laughing and joking and dancing. Going from room to room and back again. It would be impossible for people to keep track of one another. Who knows who went where and for how long?”
Melody held up her hand but it wouldn’t stop Kerry when she was in full flow.
“All I’m saying is the lack of a witness doesn’t prove anything. It just means no one saw them leave, not that they didn’t leave.
“You are right,” Melody said. “I’m still suspicious of Sandra. I don’t know why but I know there is something that she is not saying. Who knows, maybe Franklin’s desire to lawyer up was to protect his wife and not himself.”
“I know that look,” Leslie said, “what are you going to do?”
Melody laughed. Her friend was right, she did have an idea. “I think I might head back to the Reids’ and try to talk to Sandra. Who knows, I might find something out!”
“No,” Leslie said.
“She’s right, Mel. That’s not a good idea, especially not in your condition. You know, being pregnant and all. You need to take extra special care and you don’t want to be getting involved with any murderers. Alvin would kill us if we let you get hurt.”
Melody laughed. “I really appreciate your concern, but I’m not going to get hurt. I’ll have Smudge with me and I can still take care of myself. I even have a good excuse.”
“What’s that?” Leslie asked.
“I’m bringing Smudge for a play date with Elvis. Sandra really loved to see the two dogs play, I’m sure she’ll be delighted to see me.” Melody hoped this would be the case, for the last thing she wanted at the moment was any trouble.
Melody made the short drive to the Reids’ house and was soon pulling up outside. Fixing a lead onto Smudge’s collar she made her way to the door and knocked, in what she hoped was a friendly fashion. Was that even possible?
Sandra opened the door with Elvis, the pug, at her feet. The two dogs were delighted to see each other, wiggling and doing little barks and yips but Sandra seemed less than happy. The scowl on her face told Melody that she was not welcome.
“I’m here alone, what do you want?” Sandra asked.
“I was just passing and I knew Smudge and Elvis would love to play so I just thought I’d see if you were doing all right. Or if you need anything?”
Sandra hesitated for a few moments but as Smudge started to whimper, she opened the door and let them in. “Franklin and Kirsten were called to a meeting with Principal Jeffries. They are discussing Kirsten’s graduation status… Franklin thought it best if I stay here.”
Melody found that highly suspicious. What is Sandra hiding?
“Come on through, and I’ll make a coffee, the dogs can run around in the garden,” Sandra said.
Melody followed them through and Sandra poured 2 cups of coffee and offered Melody a cookie from a tray. Had she been alone or were they for someone else?
Sandra was about to lead her outside when she turned around to find Smudge standing on her hind legs and waving her paws in front of her. Sandra’s eyes grew wide as if she was frightened and Melody’s suspicions kicked up another notch. Thinking it was now or never, Melody decided to press the point.
“That is terrible,” Melody said offering a little sympathy to start. “However, I did hear Victor speaking to Kirsten, the words he was saying were far from kindly. Maybe he had a point?”
Sandra sank down into a chair. It was as if the weight of the world had become too much for her and she had succumbed under the pressure. Smudge gave a little yip and ran out of the room.
Melody walked around the table and pulled out the opposite chair. Placing her cup on the surface Melody waited for Sandra to continue. The seconds stretched and while Melody waited Smudge appeared back in the room. The little bulldog walked up to Sandra and rested her head against her leg. Her offer of comfort confused Melody. One moment ago, she seemed suspicious now, rather than play with the pug, she was here offering support! It was almost enough to make her believe that Sandra was innocent. But still, she waited and let the silence speak for her. For long moments the seconds ticked by, but Melody had wat
ched the best in her husband, Alvin, and she knew to wait Sandra out. Silence could be deafening when you had a guilty conscience.
Eventually, Sandra let out a sigh and her eyes raised to meet Melody’s. “I may as well tell you… because the sheriff is bound to find out eventually. I overheard the same conversation and I raced after the teaching assistant.”
“I didn’t see you,” Melody said though she wished she hadn’t.
“There is another gate behind the topiary hedge. It is very secluded and hard to find. No one would see anyone leaving that way… but I swear to you that all I did was offer Victor a bribe. I just wanted to keep him quiet. Only it wasn’t that easy, he said that he didn’t want a one-time payment. What he wanted was for me to pay him monthly and for me to put in a good word for him with Principal Jeffries. Victor wanted to secure a tenured position on the teaching staff.” Sandra paused and took a big gulp of her coffee. It was strange to see this small and pristine woman drinking with as much finesse as a member of a chain gang.
Once more, Melody waited but she did give Sandra a nod of encouragement to continue.
“I could have given him a one-off payment, but there is no way I could manage continuous payments, certainly not without Franklin finding out. I guess I was a little horrified at the man’s awful treatment of both me and my daughter. In tears, I fled back to Franklin and filled him in on the complete conversation.”
Now it was getting interesting. “I understand,” Melody said. “I hate that Victor did that to you, it must’ve been awful and I understand how you feel. Do you think that Franklin might have opted for violence… as a way to eliminate Victor’s threat?”
As Melody watched, Sandra seemed to shrink even more. The posture said more than words but soon her words confirmed Melody’s fears.
“I don’t want to say…” Tears fell from her eyes and she looked devastated.
“These things will come out, tell me what it is you’re worried about,” Melody said and reached out a hand to offer comfort.
“I’m sad to admit this… but I’m not sure. I love my husband and my daughter but they were acting strangely after the party. They kept their eyes on one another all the time. Something felt off to me.”
Melody felt as if she had got what she needed. Franklin was the obvious candidate and if his own wife suspected him, then all Melody had to do was find the evidence to prove this theory. However, there was still something about Sandra that made her think she was more involved than she was letting on. It hadn’t taken much for Melody to get her to blame her husband and that didn’t sit well with Melody. However, Smudge was still offering Sandra her comfort. The Frenchie was a good judge of character and Melody nearly scratched Sandra off the suspect list — nearly.
As they said their goodbyes one thing was for certain, Melody was still no closer to identifying Victor’s killer.
Chapter Two Hundred Seventy
Melody made her way back to the car, fastening Smudge into her harness and attaching it to the safety belt. Smudge must have seen Sandra with Victor before she fled in tears. It was just something that the bulldog was keyed into. Melody wondered if Smudge then kept an eye on Victor. Possibly noticing him go to the bank of the pond. If she had, she must’ve seen the person who actually pushed Victor into the water. There was no doubt in Melody’s mind that Smudge would growl at the individual. The only problem was, Smudge hadn’t growled at any of her suspects.
The day was drawing in and Melody wondered if the girls had already left the shop. They had a graduation party, but this was a small one and it was Melody’s night off. She and Kerry would do the next one and she and Leslie the one after. Work was very busy and a little hard at the moment; luckily, they all loved what they did.
As she drove, Melody began to think of all the people who could have a motive to kill Victor. There were, of course, other parents, and possibly other people at the school. If it had leaked out that Victor had been telling the truth then scandal would follow.
Melody pulled her car into the back of the bakery and could see that the van was missing. Grabbing her keys from her purse she released Smudge and stepped around to the front door. It was getting late, and officially they should be closed, but Melody had a few jobs she wanted to do before she went home. So, she may as well open up.
Walking in she went under the counter and unlocked the door, turning the sign to open. Then she found a butter cookie for Smudge on a note from Leslie.
We cleaned up for you.
I hope you solved the crime.
Have a great evening, see you tomorrow.
Leslie and Kerry
xoxo
Melody tossed the butter cookie to Smudge, who grabbed it and ran out of the room and into the break room to her bed. Melody smiled as she knew that Smudge would eat it there before being ready to leave. She was about to pick up her purse to go to her office and check tomorrow’s workload when the door opened and Principal Jeffries walked in.
“Melody, isn’t it?” he asked.
“That’s right, how can I help you?”
“I was just surprised to see you open… I was just walking past. I wondered if I might purchase some of your wonderful profiteroles? I enjoyed them so much at Kirsten’s party that I just had to take some home.”
Melody smiled. “Just give me a moment and I’ll check if we have any left. Melody walked through into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Sure enough, there was one portion of profiteroles left. Quickly, she boxed them up before returning to the shop.
“You are in luck,” she said and then stopped instantly. Smudge stood behind the counter, her hackles raised and a growl coming from deep within her little throat. How do I always get into these situations, Melody thought?
On alert, Melody scanned her late customer. He would’ve had a reason to want to keep Victor quiet, but would he want him dead? Melody knew she stood staring but for some reason, she couldn’t move as all the possibilities ran through her mind. If Victor really had messed with Kirsten’s grades, it did not reflect well on the school. What would the principal do to keep Victor silent? Of course, he could’ve been bribed in the same way Sandra was. Would he push Victor into the pond to save himself the financial burden?
“Are you all right?” Richard Jeffries asked. “You’ve gone as white as a sheet and your dog appears to dislike me.”
Melody watched his face change. So far, he had looked dignified and pleased to see her but the realization now struck him and it changed his persona completely. The man before her most definitely looked like someone who could kill. He was certainly someone who would not take prisoners and he would want the likes of Victor out of the way. Deciding that her best bet was to meet him head-on Melody swallowed and cleared her throat.
“You forget, Richard, that my dog was at the party. She smelt whoever committed the crime and I think she just worked out who that was.” As imperceptibly as she could Melody reached into her pocket for her phone. She could speed dial Alvin without looking and that was what she did.
Smudge still stood in front of her, guarding her from the man she knew was a threat.
Richard smirked. “I think you would be better sticking to baking then crime detection. Your profiteroles are delightful but your theory on crime is interesting at best and insulting at worst. Apart from which I had no beef against Victor, none at all. I looked into Kirsten’s grades and I found no improprieties. I have to assume that either Kirsten and her father were lying or that Victor was all talk. Either way, all I would have done was sack the man and adjusted Kirsten’s grades if need be.
Melody could hear the slight ring tone from her pocket and then Alvin's answer. She could tell he was talking but she couldn’t make out a word. How she hated to scare him in this way, but she also knew that he would be racing towards her as fast as he could. She just hoped that he would be in time.
Chapter Two Hundred Seventy-One
For a moment or two Principal Jeffries and Melody locked eyes. Between the
m, the little bulldog was growling menacingly and Melody knew that she would not let him near her. However, she also knew that Smudge was so small and she hated the thought of her getting hurt. Maybe if she kept her cool the principal would leave and Alvin could deal with him later.
Smudge turned and yipped at Melody. It was almost as if she was saying don’t let him leave, but for once, Melody was more worried about facing down the large man than solving the crime.
“Well, I hope that has cleared that up,” Principal Jeffries said as he reached out for the profiteroles. “Now, how much do I owe you for these?”
Melody shook herself and handed over the box, placing a smile on her face she shook her head. “No charge, it’s the end of the day and they are all we had left and after all, I was just rather rude to you.”
“Think nothing of it,” he said and with a wave, he turned to leave. “Thank you for these, I’ll be back for more soon.”
Before Melody could stop her, Smudge ran under the counter and in front of him. Leaping forward, she grabbed his trousers by the ankle and shaking and pulling she forced him to the ground. The box of profiteroles flew out of his hand and across the shop as did a certain silver cigarette lighter.
Melody gasped when she realized it was Victor’s lighter and that he had it with him before he went to the pond. It was circumstantial but it pointed firmly in the direction of Richard being the killer.
“Control that damn dog,” Richard cried as he tried to kick out at Smudge. The Frenchie was darting around him yapping and barking at his ankles.
At last, Melody reached down to pull her phone out of her pocket the sound of sirens came through the phone as she held it to her ear. “Alvin, I’m at the bakery and I have a suspect.”
“Hey, Mel. It’s so good to hear your voice. I was worried for a moment, how are you doing?”
“I’m okay,” she managed.
“Just hold on, I’m nearly there,” Alvin said.