Raising Prosperity

by Cherie Mitchell

  “Don’t know. The whole project is up in the air now. Ophelia’s death was a huge shock to us all.”

  “And it was going to be about … ?” Prosperity prompted.

  “The working title was Past the Gums. It was to be a spoof on the bubblegum industry told from the perspective of an aged wayfarer reflecting on his life.”

  “A spoof? And Ophelia was okay with that? I would’ve thought she’d have frowned upon a movie that made fun of the very reason for her good fortune.”

  “Ophelia had an unusual sense of humor. She wasn’t easily offended and she enjoyed laughing at herself.”

  “Did she enjoy sending cryptic messages?” Mish’s comments and insight were helping to build a much clearer image of Ophelia and Prosperity was determined to find out as much as she could. She wondered if she dared drop in a question about Pinnacle.

  “What do you mean? I must admit, she did like her cryptic crosswords.” Mish smiled fondly. “She sat on the set of our last movie doing crosswords while we filmed.”

  “Your last movie? The gerbil one?”

  Mish looked pleased. “Yeah. Have you seen it?”

  “No, but a friend of mine has. So, Ophelia was involved in that one as well? Intriguing. Would you call yourself a close friend of Miss Rump’s?”

  “Ophelia didn’t have a lot of close friends. She had a lot of acquaintances. I like to think of myself as one of her closer acquaintances.” His face grew sad. “She was a lovely person.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss but you can rest assured that we’re doing all we can to catch the perpetrator.” Heck, listen to her. She’d obviously been spending far too much time around Ruby. She hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to jump in fearlessly, as only Prosperity could. “What do you know about her relationship with Pinnacle? Were they hooking up?”

  Mish shut his mouth like a clam and stared over her left shoulder. “I don’t know anything. It’s a rumor as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Okay, but according to some of the people at the last party she attended they were romantically involved. Several people swore they were an item. Are you sure you don’t know anything?”

  Prosperity called on her bar experience to try to crack him open. From what she’d learned about men from her days at Tail Spinners, a little flattery could get a person exactly where they wanted to be.

  “You seem like an astute man to me, Mish. Someone observant who notices the small details that others might miss.”

  He pursed his lips and for a moment, she thought he might spill some more tea but instead he sighed and reached for his glass. “Can’t help, sorry.”

  “You’ve already been a great help. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” Mish fumbled in his wallet and handed her a business card. “My private number is on there. Call me anytime. I want to see the person who did this put behind bars, where he belongs.”

  He stood up and picked up Joey’s leash.

  “It was good to see you again.”

  “Good to see you again too, Mish. Have a safe flight home.”

  She watched as he waggled his fingers at the barman and set off down the street with his wallaby bouncing along beside him. She was certain he knew more than he was letting on but for now, she had to be content with what she had.

  13

  Charmed Life

  Professor Leigh was one of those people who wandered around as if they’d turned up late for life and never quite caught up with the lesson. He had a vague and slightly shell-shocked aura about him and Prosperity wondered why he’d ever thought it a good idea to make teaching science his lifelong career. He seemed better suited to a quiet, solitary role as bookbinder or antiquarian. However, he did know a lot about microbes. So, perhaps there was something to be said for keeping the best part of your brain for yourself while presenting a ditzy, rambling front to the world in general.

  She glanced over at Meghan, who was watching enthralled as Professor Leigh laboriously wrote a complex formula on the whiteboard with his marker pen. Maybe she should give Meghan more kudos for her dogged pursuit of the man. It couldn’t be easy pretending undying love and attraction for a person who more closely resembled a stuffed sock.

  “Pssst. Prosperity. Do you have a spare pen? I can trade you a pencil.” Their classmate Martin leaned across from the desk beside her and spoke in a low stage whisper. “It’s a cute pencil, I promise.”

  He waggled a 2HB with a silver charm dangling from the metal ferrule at the top of the pencil in her direction.

  Prosperity handed over a pen in exchange for the pencil, smiling at the cute apple charm. “Did you find it in a pack of candy?”

  “Yeah. I was going to throw it away but it’s very well made so I decided to keep it. Lots of detail. More than you’d expect in a trinket. Thanks for the pen.”

  Professor Leigh loudly cleared his throat from the front of the class and Prosperity hurriedly pasted on her intense concentration face. She waited until the professor turned back to the board before dropping the pencil into her bag. She had no need for a pencil but Martin had helped her out in the past. If you can’t help your friends who can you help.

  After class, Prosperity found a quiet spot under the trees that bordered the campus and dialed Reuben’s number. The phone rang several times and she was about to end the call, sure that his voicemail was about to kick in, when he breathlessly answered. “Reuben Jackson.”

  “Ruby! I was just about to hang up.”

  “Prosperity. I was thinking of you earlier.”

  Prosperity grinned. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. I’ve had another sandwich stolen from the lunchroom. Have you made any progress on the lunchroom thief?”

  She frowned into the phone. “Have I made any progress? I haven’t even looked at it. Ruby, I’m on campus for most of the week. How am I supposed to solve a mystery that’s going on right under your nose if you can’t?”

  Reuben grunted. “What’d you ring me for?”

  “I thought you might be interested to hear about my meeting with Mish,” she said tartly. “However, I’ve got plenty of other things to do if you’re going to act like a grumpy old bear.”

  Right now, she couldn’t even be bothered picking up the stick to poke him. She waited for him to answer, staring across the campus at Meghan and Professor Leigh as they walked past the classrooms with their heads held close together and their hips bumping.

  Ruby blew a long sigh into the phone. “Okay. Tell me.”

  “We met at Bad Moon Rising late yesterday afternoon … ”

  “Hey, I’ve heard that’s good. I must get out there sometime.”

  “Yeah, it’s good. Anyway, Mish is only here on the island until Saturday. He told me the movie they were making was supposed to be a spoof on the bubblegum business. Ophelia was apparently a willing participant and was going out of her way to help.”

  “Seems odd.”

  “That’s what I thought, but Mish assured me she was completely onboard with it. I asked if they’re going to go ahead anyway but he said no. His exact words were, ‘Ophelia’s death has ruined everything’.

  “Do you think he’s a suspect? Should I send a car out to bring him in? He and I could have a quiet chat.” Reuben cracked his knuckles into the phone mouthpiece.

  Prosperity thought of Mish’s tears on hearing of Ophelia’s death, his therapy wallaby, and his limp wave at the barman.

  “Somehow I don’t think Mission Talbot has the right profile for a violent murderer. It would’ve taken a reasonable amount of strength to jam the ball of bubblegum into Ophelia’s throat while she was still alive. She wasn’t a big woman but she was tall. She could’ve overpowered Mish in an instant. He might be involved, I’m certainly not saying he isn’t, but I doubt he’s our main man.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Oh, he did mention a man called Spinner McKee. Said he was a major sponsor for the movie and a friend of Ophelia’s daddy. Charlie Rump and Sp
inner went to Harvard together and Mish told me he’s a stalwart of the island. They even have a cocktail named after him at Bad Moon Rising.”

  Prosperity licked her lips at her memory of the drink’s sublime flavor combination.

  “Spinner McKee? He’s involved? I think you’ve got hold of the wrong end of the stick there, Prosperity.”

  Prosperity considered picking up her bear stick to show Ruby just what end she did have a hold of, but she thought better of it. “It’s definitely Spinner McKee. Mish said he’s the inspiration behind the sculpture at Menemsha Public Beach and he likes to fly beneath the radar. Said he likes to hide in plain sight.”

  “That’s Spinner all right. Well, I’ll be darned. He never mentioned a connection to Ophelia.”

  “You know him?”

  “Everyone knows Spinner McKee. Do you remember that murder on the luxury yacht that I told you about?”

  “Uh, I think so. Do you mean the one with the Siamese cat?” Prosperity could feel the faint beginnings of a headache.

  “That’s the one. The victim was Spinner’s stepbrother. He and I spent a lot of time together during the investigation. Tell me again what your contact said about him.”

  “Mish didn’t say too much, other than mentioning he’s somewhat of a local celebrity and he was footing some of the bill for the bubblegum spoof movie. Oh, and that he’s a recovering alcoholic.”

  “Yeah. Spinner is something of a stalwart in the AA community, not that I can confirm or deny anything of course. I might pencil in a catch up with him, see what I can find out.”

  “Ruby, do you think he might have anything to do with Ophelia’s murder? If we’re looking at the Clutch Cargo note from the Spinner angle it does tie him in.”

  “I hope not. He doesn’t seem the right sort of character to involve himself in a murder, but I should know by now that you can never be sure.”

  “So he was cleared of his stepbrother's murder?”

  “He was never a suspect. Prosperity, I have to go. Will you make it into the office this afternoon?”

  “No chance, but I’ll try to get in there for a few hours tomorrow.”

  “Great. I’ll be able to let you know how my date with Apex goes.”

  Prosperity gnawed at her lip. “So it’s definitely a date?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “I guess not. Bye, Ruby.” She ended the call and shrieked as Blaine sneaked up behind her and said close to her ear, “How’s my pretty little investigator doing today?”

  She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Can you just drop it, Blaine? I’ve got a lot on my mind and I don’t want to have to deal with any of your patronizing quips today.”

  “Whoa.” He staggered back as if he’d been shot, mockingly clutching his chest and grimacing. “Heart wound, Prosperity, heart wound.”

  She irritably flapped her hand at him. “I gotta go. Got another class to get to.” She’d already started walking away and he hurried to catch up. “Don’t be like that. I brought you a gift. A token of my affection and esteem, if you will.”

  “Blaine … ” She was about to launch into a spiel about not looking for a relationship right now, about how much she valued his friendship, and how a gift really wasn’t necessary, when he grinned and reached into his pocket. “Don’t worry. It’s not an engagement ring. You said you liked my Kombi van charm so I brought you a bag of candy so you could try your luck. I’ve got a feeling this is one of the winning bags.”

  Prosperity immediately felt guilty for trying to brush him off. “That’s sweet of you. Thanks, Blaine.”

  She dropped the pack of candy into her shoulder bag without looking at it too closely and gave him a smile that she hoped conveyed warmth and appreciation.

  “I have to go or I’ll be late. Talk soon.”

  14

  Pilfered Boysenberry

  It was well after one o’clock before Prosperity arrived at her office. She was surprised to see Officer Ryley lurking around her door, his baby face pinched with concern. He brightened at once when he saw her. “Prosperity! I was hoping you’d come in today. Have you made any advances on the case?”

  “Yes, we’re slowly inching forward. Baby steps, but I’m pleased with the progress we have made.” She went to walk past him but he grabbed her arm and excitedly thrust his face close to hers. “You’ve made progress? That’s fantastic!”

  “Um, yeah.” She looked pointedly at his hand on her arm and he quickly removed it. “It’s good to know that you’re so interested in the Ophelia Rump case. It’s great to know you want to get involved in whatever’s going on in the workplace and that bodes well for your future with the police force.”

  He looked confused, as if she’d suddenly begun talking in Chinese. “Ophelia Rump? My future? No, I’m talking about the lunchroom bandit.”

  “Oh, for goodness sake. You’re as bad as Ruby.” She pushed past him and made to walk into her office. “I don’t have time to track down your missing lasagna.”

  “No, it’s not my lasagna, it’s my meatballs. My meatballs are missing today. Prosperity, someone has their dirty, thieving hands all over my saucy balls!” He looked so stricken that she was worried he was about to collapse.

  Prosperity would have laughed but she felt a surge of sympathy for the young man. She pushed aside all hope of getting on with what she was here to do for now. Ryley was clearly at crisis point. She smiled reassuringly and gave his arm a maternal pat.

  “Look, I’m sorry. It’s never a nice feeling to think a colleague might be stealing from you, but this is a police department. Shouldn’t it be the safest workplace environment anyone could ever hope for?”

  “You’d think so. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be how it works.” Ryley slumped miserably against the doorframe. “Some dastardly thief is sure to be spending their lunch break nibbling on my balls.”

  Prosperity struggled past another giggle to clear the visual from her mind. “Have you tried doing anything to catch the culprit? I know Reuben said he’d put me in charge of the case but let’s be honest—I’m rarely here. Take a seat and we’ll go through the facts that we have at hand.”

  Ryley perched eagerly on the edge of her visitor’s chair as Prosperity dropped the folder of interview notes onto her desk. Her plan had been to spend a few hours going back over the notes and instead it looked as though she would be chasing down Ryley’s lost lunch. Reuben Jackson, you owe me one. She pulled a blank page toward her and selected a pen from her desk drawer.

  “Tell me what you know.”

  Ryley counted the misdemeanors off on his fingers. “One stolen lasagna, one pilfered boysenberry yogurt, one missing subway roll with ham and egg, and one uplifted serving of meatballs. That’s just my list. Reuben had a sandwich and an apple taken, as well as a wedge of cherry pie he’d picked up from Mrs. Apron’s Bakery.”

  “Oooh, her cherry pies are good.” This conversation was making Prosperity hungry.

  She stealthily reached for her shoulder bag while keeping a grave and concerned look pasted on her face for Ryley’s sake. If her luck was in, there should be a granola bar in the side pocket.

  “Tell me about it.” Ryley continued with his woeful ode to misery. “Rory had a half-carton of leftover Chow Mein noodles snitched this morning and Anders can’t find the tuna salad sandwich his wife made him.”

  “Sounds as though the thief is eating well at your expense.” Her searching fingers finally found the crinkly paper of the granola bar wrapper and she inched her hand up to drop her treasure in her lap. As soon as Ryley left the room, that bar had a lunch date with her belly. “Has anyone tried to catch him?”

  “What makes you think the thief is a he?” Ryley looked at her suspiciously, as if he thought she was keeping something important from him.

  “Figure of speech.” She tapped her pen impatiently on the page to hurry him along.

  “Anders’ sandwich was in one of those plastic baggies decorated with fa
ke mold. He’d hoped the thief might overlook his lunch in favor of better pickings but it didn’t serve any benefit. Apparently, fake mold is no deterrent. I was thinking of getting some of that dye from Stores, the purple stuff that explodes over the culprit’s hands and doesn’t wash off. We use it to catch bank robbers.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. In fact, it’s a great idea. Why don’t you go ahead and do that?” She pushed the page away and went to pick the granola bar out of her lap, certain that Ryley was on his way out of her office. “See, you didn’t need me at all.”

  “Yeah, but none of us have any food left to bait the dye trap with.”

  She hastily dropped the bar back into the scoop of her skirt, afraid to let Ryley see it. “I guess it’ll have to wait until Monday then. Glad we got that sorted out.”

  “Yeah. Thanks, Prosperity. I don’t think I can take much more of this.” He smiled wanly and walked dejectedly out of the room, clearly a man broken.

  Prosperity tore the wrapper off her granola bar as she flipped open her folder full of notes. She now had fifteen wasted minutes to catch up on.

  “Got a minute?” Reuben stuck his head around the door just as Prosperity reached for one of the interview sheets from a partygoer who had mentioned Pinnacle.

  “Only if you haven’t come in here to complain about your missing cherry pie. I’m beginning to think I’d get more work done at home.”

  “I was looking forward to that cherry pie. I picked it up from Mrs. Apron’s on my way in this morning.” He leveraged himself into the visitor’s chair with an audible groan. “I could’ve done with a sugar hit today.”

  Prosperity squinted her eyes at the suspicious-looking bruise on Ruby’s neck. “Is that a hickey?”

  Ruby blushed deep red and flipped up his collar to hide the bruise.

  “No, it isn’t a hickey,” he said haughtily. “It’s a tie burn.”