Murder Ink

by Lorraine Bartlett

  So, according to Racecar, Ken tried to keep him and Paul out of trouble. Katie clicked on the name to view Racecar’s profile. Clearly, Racecar liked to party. In several of his photos, he appeared to be inebriated. Racecar’s list of friends included Paul; Ken; Ken’s son, Avery; Mary; Hugh; Regan; Roger; and Andy.

  Katie blinked. Racecar was friends with Andy? How was that possible? Katie had never met this man, and Andy had never spoken about him.

  She took a screenshot of the page and texted it to Andy. How do you know this guy? she typed.

  He texted back: We went to high school together. Haven’t seen him in years. He doesn’t seem to have matured much since high school. Why do you want to know about him?

  Long story. I’ll tell you tonight. XOXO.

  Andy responded: Okay, but if he wants to lease a vendor spot at AA, tell him you’re full up. He didn’t have a stellar reputation in high school, and I’m guessing he still doesn’t.

  Then why are you FB friends with the guy? Katie asked. Were you close when you were in school together?

  No. But I couldn’t think of a valid reason to deny his friend request without coming across like a jerk. Plus, as a business owner, I don’t want people to feel that I have a big head just because I run a pizzeria.

  That’s ridiculous, Katie fired back. You have a big head because you’re still the best-looking guy in your graduating class.

  Well, that does it.

  Katie read the cryptic response. Does what? she wrote.

  When Andy didn’t respond, she decided he must’ve gotten busy. She gave up on Racecar and went back to Avery’s profile page.

  Minutes later, Andy burst into her office, came around the side of the desk, pulled her to her feet, and kissed her soundly.

  “Does that answer your question?” he asked, sporting a wicked grin.

  She smiled. “After that kiss, I’m not even sure what the question was, but I’ll accept that answer.”

  He laughed. “You’re beautiful, and I couldn’t wait until tonight to see you. Now that I’m here, tell me why you wanted to know about Aaron.”

  Aaron? Oh, Racecar!

  Katie explained that at brunch the day before, Mary told her about Ken’s son. “Naturally, I was curious about the young man. Your friend Aaron had written on Avery’s social media page that he was sorry about Avery’s dad—that Ken had tried to keep Aaron and Paul out of trouble. That’s when I clicked on Aaron’s page and learned that you two know each other—or did.”

  Andy glanced down at her open laptop. “What does Paul’s page look like? Is he as wild as Aaron appears to be?”

  “I don’t know.” Katie sat back down and clicked on the link to Paul’s page. The page contained one photograph—the one used as Paul’s profile. Otherwise, his page was completely blank.

  “Hmm, Paul must not want anyone knowing his business,” Andy said.

  “Then why have a page at all?”

  “Remember, you need a profile in order to create a business page.”

  “That’s right.”

  He shrugged. “And maybe Paul just wanted the private chat feature to talk with his friends.”

  “I suppose anything’s possible.”

  Andy bent and kissed her again. “I’ve got to get back. I’ll see you tonight. You should come by Angelo’s for a calzone.”

  “As delicious as that sounds, I’m having dinner with Fiona Lancaster this evening.”

  “What? She doesn’t like calzones?” He winked and left.

  Katie resumed her social media spying on Avery Fenton. The young man with the curly brown hair had started working at the new Thai restaurant in Gates when it opened earlier this summer. Katie was guessing it was a part-time job that he’d leave as soon as he returned to college in the fall.

  Avery confirmed Katie’s guess with his most recent post: Wanted to see a movie with my buds tonight, but I have to work. #dailygrind #moneyforschool

  So, Avery was working tonight. Katie took a peppermint from the jar on her desk and wondered if Fiona liked Thai food.

  Twenty-Five

  Katie heard Fiona’s laughter as she approached Sassy Sally’s door. When she entered the B and B, she could see that Nick was regaling Fiona, Don, and Brad with some wild story. She leaned against the doorjamb and folded her arms to wait for Nick to finish the tale.

  He ended with, “And that was the fastest I’d ever seen Don run!”

  This brought on another round of laughter by everyone except a sheepish Don, who merely shook his head. When he caught sight of Katie, his eyes sparkled as if he were ten years old and he’d just spotted Santa putting a shiny new bike under the tree.

  “Katie! How nice to see you!”

  “I’m sure you’re happy to see me,” she said sardonically. “Should I get Nick to tell me that story sometime?”

  “No. In fact, I forbid him to ever mention it again.”

  “It involves Don and a skunk,” Nick said, “and I’ll be sure to fill you in later.” He gave his partner a mischievous grin. “What? It’s funny!”

  “It really is,” Fiona said. “But Katie and I have dinner plans. Would you fellas like to join us?”

  “No, thank you,” Brad said. “We . . . uh . . . we have some plans of our own.”

  “That’s right.” Don elbowed Nick, who was wrinkling his brow in confusion. “Remember?” He ran his hand up and down his forearm. “Remember?”

  “Oh, yes!” Nick slapped his forehead. “Sometimes I’m so spacey. Hot dogs, nachos, and baseball!”

  Were the Red Wings playing at home or would they watch a game on TV and fire up the grill?

  “All right,” Katie said. “Enjoy yourselves.”

  “We will,” Brad called. “See you tomorrow!”

  When she and Fiona got into Katie’s car, Fiona said, “I adore those young men, but I’m glad it’s just you and me for dinner. I’ve been looking forward to some girl talk for days.”

  “Me, too.” Katie backed out of the parking lot. “How do you feel about Thai food?”

  “I love it. I haven’t had it in ages, though. I didn’t realize there was a Thai place near Victoria Square.”

  “Well . . . it’s a little bit of a drive,” Katie said sheepishly.

  “Why, Katie Bonner. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were up to something.” She chuckled. “But, of course, I know better. Right?”

  “Well . . .” Katie blew out a breath and explained that when she’d found out that Avery happened to be working at the Thai restaurant in Gates that evening, she decided to check him out. “I’d like to get an impression of the type of young man he is, you know?”

  “Then let’s do one better than looking at the boy from across a crowded room,” Fiona said. “Let’s request him as our server.”

  “B-but we can’t! How would we possibly explain that? We don’t know this kid.”

  Fiona grinned. “Leave it to me.”

  * * *

  —

  A diminutive hostess in a black cocktail dress greeted Katie and Fiona when they entered the elegant restaurant.

  “Is Avery Fenton working this evening?” Fiona asked.

  “Yes, Avery’s here.”

  “May we please be seated at one of his tables? We’d like him to be our server.”

  “Of course.” The hostess checked to see if Avery had an available table. He did, so she led them to it and handed them menus. “Avery will be with you momentarily.”

  “See?” Fiona asked Katie as the hostess returned to her podium. “Easy, peasy.”

  “But what are you going to—”

  Katie was unable to finish her question because Avery Fenton arrived at their table.

  “Good evening. My name is Avery, and I’ll be your server. Would you like to hear our specials?”


  “We would, Avery,” Fiona said smoothly. “But first, I must tell you I asked to be seated in your station because I wanted to express my sincerest condolences. Your father did some work for me once. He was a wonderful man, and he spoke of you often. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Avery gulped. “Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I’m still—”

  Fiona patted his forearm. “It’s quite all right, darling. Time will dull the pain, but you’ll never stop missing your dad.”

  “I know.”

  “Avery, I had brunch with your aunt Mary yesterday,” Katie said, hoping to ease the heaviness that had descended. “She’s so very proud of you.”

  “I appreciate that,” Avery said. “She and Uncle Harper are awfully good to me.”

  “You mentioned the specials?” Fiona lifted her brows.

  “Oh, yes.”

  As Avery rattled off the evening’s specials, Katie felt like crawling under the table. This had been a terrible idea. Here the poor kid was trying to work to help pay for his college while his grief was still an open wound. So, what do she and Fiona do? Pour salt in it, of course.

  Fiona requested the red curry duck from the list of specials. Katie hadn’t even paid attention to them. She ordered the coconut chicken. They both ordered sparkling water.

  When Avery had taken their order to the kitchen, Katie said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

  “Nonsense,” Fiona said. “It’s nice for the young man to know his father loved him. And you chimed in about the aunt. Good job.”

  “It’s true, though. Mary adores her nephew.” She leaned closer to Fiona. “Did Ken really talk about Avery a lot while he was working for you?”

  “Not to me. He did his job and kept his mouth shut . . . which was fine with me. I don’t appreciate workers lollygagging on my dime, and I let them know that up front.”

  Katie’s mouth dropped open.

  “Come, now,” Fiona said. “Don’t let my firmness surprise you. You’re a businesswoman. You know you have to be tough to avoid getting trampled on.”

  Avery returned with their drinks. This time when he left their table, Fiona commented softly, “I think that young man is very brave. You were sweet to want to come and check up on him.” She flicked her braceleted wrist in Katie’s direction. “Oh, I know you pretended—maybe even to yourself—that you merely wanted to see the boy, but you wanted to make sure that he’ll be all right.” She smiled sadly. “It has to be some comfort to him that the man who killed his father has been arrested.”

  Katie stiffened. “The police made an arrest, but they’re looking at the wrong person.”

  “You think so?”

  “I do.”

  “But how can you be sure?” Fiona asked.

  “Because I know Ray Davenport and he’s not like that.” Katie kept her voice as quiet as possible, but she still looked around to make sure she hadn’t been overheard.

  Fiona reached over and gently patted Katie’s hand. “I understand how hard it must be for you to learn that someone you know could be capable of murder, but sometimes the truth surprises us.”

  Katie knew she wasn’t going to win this debate, and she certainly didn’t want to conduct it here and now, so she changed the subject. “How was your drive to McKinlay Mill?”

  “It was absolutely beautiful. I had lovely weather, and it’s such a scenic trip. You really must come to visit me sometime.”

  “I’d like that,” Katie said. “But I think I’m going to have my hands full for the next few months.”

  “Ah, yes. You asked about John Healy. He’s a wonderful contractor. I believe you’ll be delighted with his work.”

  “Thank you. I really liked him when I met him.”

  Avery interrupted their conversation by bringing their meals. “Let me know if you need anything else.” With a nod, he left them to check on his other tables.

  Fiona picked up the discussion right where they left off. “What are you having done?”

  While they ate, Katie told Fiona about her plans to turn the upstairs of Tealicious into an apartment. “My partner and I are buying the building, so it makes perfect sense. I’m currently renting the apartment above Angelo’s Pizzeria.” She neglected to remind Fiona that it was Andy’s restaurant. “It’s cozy, but why pay rent when I’m buying my own building?”

  “I agree. And if you ever decide to leave, you can rent out the apartment. I love entrepreneurial women. We’re kindred spirits!”

  Katie raised her water glass. “To kindred spirits.”

  Fiona clicked her glass to Katie’s. “Seriously, I love what you’re doing. You’ve diversified your businesses, you’re buying real estate, and you aren’t relying on a man. I got everything I have all on my own, too. Don’t get me wrong—I adore Phil and he’s very supportive, but my businesses are mine.”

  “That’s fantastic. My aunt was a strong role model for me.”

  “She served you well,” Fiona said.

  “You mentioned Phil . . .” It wasn’t the best segue, but it would have to do. “Why did he think it was a bad idea for me to allow Hugh to lease space at Artisans Alley?”

  “Phil remembers Hugh as being a partier and a carouser.” Fiona smiled. “And Phil was always jealous of me, even with his friends. These days, I’m afraid his thoughts are more rooted in the past than in the present.”

  Katie knew she had to tread carefully, but given the way Phil enjoyed tying one on, she found it hard to believe that he’d try to dissuade her from allowing Hugh into Artisans Alley because he had a drinking problem.

  “Was Hugh a drinker, or was he into drugs?” Katie asked.

  “Hugh experimented with a lot of things . . . things that Phil wasn’t willing to try. That put a strain on their friendship.”

  “Do you—or Phil—believe Hugh was merely a recreational user or is it possible he was a dealer?” At Fiona’s surprised expression, Katie continued. “I mean, Phil did say he was surprised Hugh wasn’t in jail.”

  Fiona chuckled. “I believe Phil meant that given the wild life Hugh led in his younger days, he was surprised the man hadn’t landed in jail. I’ll up the ante and say that I’m surprised Hugh isn’t dead.”

  Avery came to the table to check on them. “Would either of you ladies like dessert? The sticky rice with mango is delicious.”

  “I’m sure it is,” Katie said. “But I couldn’t possibly eat another bite.”

  “Neither could I. Do you have our check?”

  Avery reached into his apron and produced their check. Katie tried to take it, but Fiona snatched it out of Avery’s hand.

  “This is my treat,” Katie insisted.

  “Nonsense.”

  Avery smiled. “I’ll give you two a moment to sort this out, and I’ll be back.”

  In the end, Fiona got her way. Katie noticed that she left Avery a very generous tip.

  * * *

  —

  When Katie arrived back at her apartment, she checked her phone. She’d turned it off during dinner and had forgotten about it until then. She had a message from Ray. His DEA friend would be at Artisans Alley at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.

  She called him back. He answered on the first ring.

  “Anything wrong?” he asked.

  “No, I simply wondered if you’ll be coming with your friend tomorrow . . . and, if not, can you give me a description so I’ll know whom to expect?”

  “I can be there if you need me,” Ray said. “As for a description, look for the guy with the dog. That’ll probably be him.”

  Katie blew out a breath. “What’s the man’s name?”

  “Miles Patterson. The dog’s name is Grimm. He’s a German shepherd—Grimm, not Miles. Miles is from Jersey.”

  “You’re just a barrel of laughs tonight, ar
en’t you?”

  “What can I say? So . . . do you want me there or not?”

  “I can handle it just fine,” she said. “It’s probably better if you’re not there. Is Grimm friendly?”

  “He is if Miles tells him to be.”

  Lovely. That puts my fears to rest.

  “Before I go, do you know whether or not Paul Fenton and Detective Schuler are friends?” Katie asked.

  “Is that your new theory—that Schuler is targeting me because he’s buddies with Paul?” He scoffed. “No. Whether the two of them are friendly or not, Schuler is a by-the-book cop.”

  “Are you sure about that? Would you stake your life on it? Because you might be, you know.”

  “I am staking my life on it, Katie. I know that.”

  “So, that’s it, then? We leave it alone? Stay out of it?”

  “Yeah.” He sighed. “That’s what we do. If I hadn’t called Miles and had him work this little fiasco with Grimm into his schedule, I’d cancel that, too.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t think he’s going to find anything. And, if he does, then what? He can’t make an arrest. He won’t be catching anyone in the act.”

  “But, still—”

  “But nothing. It’s dangerous, and it’s stupid. The only reason you’re going out on a limb is for me, and—”

  “Hold on,” she interrupted. “I’m going out on a limb for me. If someone is selling drugs out of my building, I need to know it. I’m not about to put myself in the position of having all my assets seized because I was too blind to know what was going on right under my nose. I’m smarter than that, and you know it.”

  “I do know it.”

  “Good. Then you also know that if you cancel your friend’s visit, then I’ll call someone else. I’d rather end up looking like a fool than being one.”

  “Okay, okay. You win. Was that the bell? May I please go to my corner of the ring and have my manager shine a penlight into my eyes?”