Murder Ink

by Lorraine Bartlett

  “Why? What did he do?” Regan asked.

  “He totally screwed over the contractor I work for when I’m not working here with Andy.”

  “What did he do to John?” Andy asked.

  “He got inside info to undercut John’s bid on a big project,” Roger said.

  “That sucks,” Andy said.

  “It’s terrible,” Katie said. “John must’ve been furious.”

  “He was.” Roger shrugged. “He said it wasn’t that Ken got the job but that he cheated to get it.”

  “I agree. I’ve heard Ken didn’t have a good reputation.” Katie sipped her soda. “It’s surprising how completely different siblings can be.” Although, given what Sue had said about her niece and Paul, Katie wondered if Ken and Paul really were all that different. “What about Harper Jones’s wife? She’s Paul and Ken’s sister. What is she like?”

  Erikka brought their pizza then, and Roger got up to grab another can of pop, so Katie’s question went unanswered. It was then Katie decided she should pay Mrs. Jones a visit and see for herself what the Fentons’ sister was really like.

  * * *

  —

  After lunch, Katie strolled over to Wood U to get a small gift for Janine. It was the girl’s last day, after all, and Katie decided she should do something to commemorate Janine’s all-too-brief tenure at Tealicious.

  As she entered the shop, Katie was relieved that none of Ray’s daughters were around. Ray greeted her and, since there was another customer in the shop, Katie browsed around the store.

  After the other customer had paid for his purchases and left, Katie commented, “I failed to mention it when I saw you this morning, but your eye is looking better. At least, the swelling is going down.”

  “Thanks. Are you just here to comment on my ugly mug?”

  “No. I actually came by to get a gift for Janine.”

  “I heard she up and quit on you. Did she change her mind? Is that the reason you’re giving her a gift?”

  “No, she didn’t change her mind. The gift is a good-bye-and-good-luck present.”

  Ray scoffed. “You’re goofy.”

  “Maybe so, but I don’t want to burn bridges. Besides, Janine might have done me a favor in the long run. I’ve hired a highly qualified chef who’ll be taking over on Monday.” She selected a small ornate plaque on which Ray had carved “Live, Laugh, Love.” She took it to the counter to pay for it.

  “I could carve you up one that says ‘Thanks for Nothing’ in about an hour if you’d like.”

  Katie laughed. “I think I’ll stick with what I’ve got. Can you gift wrap it, please?”

  She was still smiling when she left Wood U and crossed the parking lot to Tealicious to deliver Janine’s gift.

  “You’re giving me a present?” Janine asked and immediately teared up upon seeing the small gift-wrapped box.

  “Of course. Thank you for everything you’ve done to help get Tealicious off the ground.”

  “You’re being awfully generous. In retrospect, I didn’t do all that much. You’re the one who got Tealicious off the ground,” Janine said ruefully. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”

  “Me, too.” Katie gave Janine the briefest of hugs and wished her well. As she turned to leave, she smiled to herself that the pop music she heard from the speakers would be changed to classical on Monday. She was looking forward to working with Brad. She had a good feeling about him, anticipating that she’d learn a lot with his guidance.

  She remembered how Erikka had winked and smiled at Andy at the pizzeria earlier. It would be terrific if Brad and Erikka fell in love at first sight.

  As she made her way back to Artisans Alley, Katie thought about what Roger had said about Ken and about Regan’s opinion of Paul. True, Sue had said that Paul was abusive to her niece, but Regan had worked with Paul for quite some time. Surely, she’d have had occasion to see him at his worst at some point. Could Paul be that adept at hiding his true nature? Or had Paul asked Regan to befriend Katie to discover what she could about the members of the Merchants Association and what they might know about Ken’s death?

  She wasn’t sure she liked that idea.

  * * *

  —

  The longer Katie sat in her office at Artisans Alley and tried to work, the more she thought about the Fenton siblings. Despite the fact that Ken Fenton had been buried that morning, Katie decided a visit to Harper Jones’s wife could wait no longer. She used the phone number Jones had given her to track down his home address, and then Katie headed for Sweet Sue’s Confectionery to buy a box of candy.

  The bells over the door tinkled cheerfully as Katie entered the shop.

  “Hello, Katie. What brings you by?” Sue greeted her.

  “I’d like a two-pound box of assorted chocolates to take to Harper Jones’s wife. I thought I should do something to express my condolences.”

  “That’s nice. Do you want to choose them yourself or do you trust my judgment?”

  “Yes, please choose. You know what your customers enjoy most.”

  Sue nodded, pulled a pretty gold-and-white box from under the counter, and began selecting various candies.

  “You mentioned your niece once dated Paul Fenton. How long ago was that?”

  Sue tilted her head as she gave the matter some thought. “Well over a year ago. Why?”

  “It’s just that I met someone who sings the guy’s praises, and I wonder if it could be possible that he’s changed.”

  “I highly doubt that,” Sue said with a snort. “But Paul Fenton isn’t the first man I’ve ever known with the ability to fool people, and I doubt he’ll be the last.”

  “That’s true.”

  “My best friend’s first husband was a controlling, abusive jerk,” she continued, warming to her subject matter. “At least, that’s what he was behind closed doors. To the rest of the world, the man came across as Mr. Terrific. In fact, when my friend finally got the courage to leave him—mind you, this was after he’d held a loaded gun to her head—everyone who knew them blamed her for the breakup. They couldn’t understand how she could leave such a wonderful man.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  “I wish I were. My friend was so devastated that she had to move away and start her life over elsewhere.”

  “What a shame,” Katie said. “Talk about your Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!”

  “Yep. And Paul Fenton is cut from that same cloth. Even my sister thought Paul was perfect for my niece until she saw the bruises on her daughter’s arms. I’m just glad she managed to be rid of him before the violence escalated.”

  Katie had known women who’d been abused and hadn’t been so lucky.

  Sue rang up the sale and Katie paid for her purchase. “See you later,” Sue called as Katie exited the shop.

  As she approached her car, Katie wondered about the timing of her visit. Was it too soon? After all, Ken Fenton’s funeral had only happened hours earlier. Still, she was the last person to be with and talk to the man.

  As Andy had said, she was lucky she hadn’t been killed, too.

  * * *

  —

  When Katie arrived at the Jones’s contemporary ranch, she was relieved to find Mr. Jones wasn’t at home. Fortunately, the lady of the house was there.

  “It’s nice to meet you . . . although I’m sorry it’s under such sad circumstances,” Katie said, after introducing herself to Mrs. Jones.

  “Thank you.” The woman accepted the chocolates and invited Katie inside. “I’m Mary, by the way.”

  “I’m so terribly sorry for your loss.”

  Mary leaned closer, squinting at Katie. “Wait . . . I recognize you from the newspaper report. You’re . . . you’re the one who was with him . . . Ken . . . when he . . . when he died.”

  “Yes, I am.”

&n
bsp; Mary led the way to the living room, then turned to face Katie. “Please tell me—did he suffer?” Before Katie could answer, Mary turned away, as if she couldn’t bear the answer to her question, and placed the candy box on the coffee table between the sofa and an overstuffed chair.

  “I don’t believe he did,” Katie said softly. “I was knocked unconscious as soon as I was struck by the current, and I feel certain that Ken must’ve been, too.” Actually, Katie wasn’t sure of anything, but she wanted to give this woman some peace and reassurance about her brother’s death. After all, there was nothing anyone could do to change it.

  “Why were you there?” Mary eased over to the sofa and sank back against the cushions. “Please have a seat.”

  Katie perched on the edge of the chair, which turned out to be a rocker, not especially wanting to get comfy and stay awhile. “I’d gone by to see Ken in order to clear up any misunderstandings he might’ve had about the Victoria Square Merchants Association’s feelings about Paul’s shop.”

  “What feelings did your hoity-toity association have about my brother’s tattoo parlor?” Mary asked, her voice hardening.

  “Well . . . while the Merchants Association would never assume to know what was best for Paul and his business, we felt he would get more foot traffic if he opened his shop closer to the marina,” Katie said.

  “Why did they send you there after they’d already sent that other man to strong-arm Paul into selling them the building?”

  “No one was sent to strong-arm Paul,” Katie said emphatically. “Mr. Davenport simply dropped in to speak with your husband about reconsidering the sale of the building. He didn’t realize who Ken was or that he was Paul’s brother.”

  “Right.” Mary’s eyes narrowed. “It seems to me that your Merchants Association would have done anything to keep my brother from opening his tattoo parlor on Victoria Square. And I’d even believe you people might have had something to do with Ken’s death if it wasn’t for that other—” She broke off and lowered her eyes.

  “That other what?” Katie prompted.

  “Nothing.” Mary stood. “I’m feeling tired now and need to lie down. Thank you for dropping by with the chocolates. I’m sure you can see yourself out.”

  Katie blinked at the abrupt dismissal. She stood. “Again, I’m so sorry for your loss, Mary.”

  “Like hell.”

  Katie had nothing more to say and found her way out. She felt glad she hadn’t had to run into Harper Jones as she got in her car and backed out of the driveway.

  She took one last look at the house and saw Mary watching from the window, and wondered who it was that the woman was afraid to mention.

  Was it the same person her brother Paul feared?

  Nine

  As she drove back toward Victoria Square, Katie used hands-free calling to phone Rose. As usual, Andy worked Saturday evenings—his busiest night of the week—and after Katie’s unsettling visit with Mary, she decided she needed some company.

  “Artisans Alley, this is Rose speaking. Can I help you?”

  “Hi, Rose. It’s Katie. I was wondering if you’re free tonight if you’d like to have dinner with me at Del’s.”

  “I’d love to.”

  “Great. I’m on my way back to Artisans Alley. When I get there, we’ll walk over together.”

  “Sounds like fun. It’s so tiring to eat alone night after night.”

  Katie grimaced. She groused about how seldom she and Andy had time alone together when Rose, a widow, spent every night on her own.

  Once back at Artisans Alley, Katie left the closing of the business to Vance, and she and Rose set off for the diner.

  At Del’s, Betty, the nighttime waitress, recommended the freshly made lemonade. Katie and Rose accepted and then decided to throw dieting and nutrition to the wind and indulge in cheeseburgers and fries.

  “Thank you for convincing the Merchants Association to sponsor me in the walkathon,” Rose told Katie.

  “They didn’t need convincing. I simply told the group what you were doing, and everyone was eager to support you.”

  “Well, I certainly appreciate their vote of confidence, and I hope none of the merchants come by and see me pigging out.”

  Katie laughed. “Given the intensity with which you’ve been training, I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about.” She sipped her lemonade. “How are things going between Vance and the vendors? Any better?”

  Rose looked thoughtful. “For the moment, but the vendors sure miss having you around, Katie. It’s not just your management style, but your presence. The vendors not only respect you, but they care about you.”

  “That’s nice to hear, but they’ve always liked Vance, too.”

  “As a peer,” Rose pointed out. “Now that he’s been officially placed in a position of authority over them, some of the vendors resent it.”

  Katie frowned. “Do you think I should call a meeting of the vendors to address the matter?”

  Rose shook her head. “No. I believe it’s going to take some time, that’s all.”

  “It’s been almost six months,” Katie pointed out.

  Rose grinned. “Apparently, it’s going to take longer than that.”

  “I hope I’ll be able to spend more time at the Alley once Brad gets the hang of running Tealicious.”

  “I hear the new chef is a looker.”

  Before Katie could respond, Betty brought out their meals.

  “Do you two need anything else at the moment?”

  “I’d like a refill on my lemonade,” Katie said.

  She waited until Betty brought the pitcher over, refilled her glass, and had gone back to the kitchen before telling Rose that she went to visit Harper Jones’s wife earlier.

  “I wondered where you’d gone,” Rose said. “How’d it go?”

  “Not well. In fact, Mary Jones said she wouldn’t be surprised if someone from the Merchants Association was responsible for her brother’s death if it weren’t for that other thing.”

  Rose raised her eyebrows. “What other thing?”

  “I have no idea. When I asked, she told me to leave.”

  “Have you told Detective Schuler this?”

  “Not yet,” Katie said. “I was a little shaken by the whole encounter and wanted to clear my head first.” She dipped a fry into a small paper cup of ketchup. “I plan to call him when I get home. Maybe he can figure out what this ‘other thing’ is.”

  “And, hopefully, it’ll get Ray Davenport off the hook.” Rose carefully removed the onion slice from her burger.

  “Yeah, that’s the only part that worries me about putting the responsibility for discovering this mysterious other thing in the hands of Detective Schuler. He doesn’t seem to want to get Ray off the hook.”

  “Still, he has to uphold the law,” Rose reminded her. “It’s his sworn duty no matter how he feels about a suspect. By the way, I heard you visited Paul Fenton at his tattoo parlor yesterday.”

  “You heard correctly.”

  Rose leaned forward. “What was it like? Was it seedy?”

  “Not at all,” Katie said with a laugh. “It was kind of a cross between a salon and a doctor’s waiting room. Everything was clean, organized, and professional.”

  “And did you . . . you know . . . get inked?” Rose asked eagerly.

  “I did not. Frankly, I wouldn’t let Paul Fenton anywhere near me with a needle. The man doesn’t like me at all.” She inclined her head. “Did you see the girl with me at lunchtime today?”

  “The one with the spiky hair and the piercings?”

  Katie nodded. “Her name is Regan, and she works at Ink Artistry. She thinks Paul is a great guy. Sue Sweeney says he has people fooled. Her niece dated him, and Sue says he was abusive.”

  “I can believe it. The girl—Regan?—she seem
ed nice.”

  “She is. She’s interested in lacemaking and made friends with Ida.”

  “Good Lord—she must be exceptional.”

  “Her brother Roger is working with Andy.”

  “It’s so good of him to mentor all those at-risk kids,” Rose said. “You’ve got a wonderful man there, Katie.”

  She smiled. “Yes, I do.”

  * * *

  —

  When Katie returned home, she fed Mason and Della before pouring herself a glass of white wine. She considered doing another power walk around the Square to work off the heavy meal she’d just eaten, but she decided she was too tired. She’d fit in an extra lap the next morning.

  She placed the wineglass in the center of the stove, where she was fairly certain the cats wouldn’t turn it over, and went to take a shower. She’d told Rose she was going to call Detective Schuler when she got home but decided she’d rather wait until morning. There was no need to make him think it was some sort of emergency or that she had vital new information when she really had nothing concrete to give him.

  Katie got out of the shower, towel-dried her hair, and slipped into her favorite summer pajamas—light blue satin shorts with a matching short-sleeved button-down top. She snagged her book off the bedside table, retrieved her wine as she passed through the kitchen, and headed for the living room sofa. She placed the glass on a coaster, snuggled against the sofa cushions, and welcomed Della and Mason. Now that the cats’ bellies were full, they were ready for some cuddle time.

  There was a rap on the door. Guessing it was Andy coming to see her during a quick break from work, Katie didn’t bother going back to the bedroom for her robe.

  She walked to the door and said, “Is that you?”

  “Yeah.”

  Katie’s eyes widened when she opened the door and saw Paul Fenton standing there. He looked her over and sneered. “If you’ve been trying to get my attention, you’ve got it.”

  She tried to slam the door shut, but he pushed it open wider and stepped inside.