Mixing Up Murder

by Emmie Lyn

  “What about his wife?” I asked. “I bet she’s not too keen about living in this small town after the excitement of San Francisco. And on a farm no less.”

  Rose stopped dead in her tracks, pulling me up short, too. “Are you belittling the blueberry farm that we depend on for just about all of your sweet recipes?” She looked at me over her glasses. A look that only meant one thing—think before you let stupid words leave your mouth.

  I opened the back door of her old Cadillac, letting Pip have the comfy seat for herself while I slid into the passenger seat, fuming at Rose’s rebuke. I waited for Rose to get in and close her door. “I’m not saying that at all. Don’t put words in my mouth. I’m just saying that someone like Jennifer, who is used to living in a city with her interest in art galleries and shows and all the glitz and glitter, probably won’t enjoy the peace and natural beauty found on a farm.” Like I would, I added to myself.

  Rose took off her wide-brimmed straw hat and turned to lay it carefully on the back seat. When she eyed Pip and calculated the chances of the terrier chewing it up for an afternoon snack, she plopped it in my lap and said, “Hold this for me.” She turned the key and her Caddy fired up with a roar. “And, how do you know all that about Luke and his wife?” Her syrupy voice told me she was about to drop some unwelcome piece of information on me. The Caddy rumbled as she put it in gear, as if her precious car was in cahoots by adding a big exclamation point at the end of her words.

  I crossed my arms and clamped my lips together. I was not giving an inch on this. Surely, Rose hadn’t forgotten my heartache over Luke.

  “For your information, whoever has been feeding you information about Luke, is behind the times. He’s divorced.”

  And just like that, my heart beat with a glimmer of hope that whatever it was that Luke and I had in the past might have a chance to rekindle. Not that I had my hopes up too high. He’d left and shattered my heart once, and I wasn’t going to let it happen again.

  Before I had a chance to ask her for details on Luke’s new life, Rose changed the subject. “Tell me, Dani. What did Lily mean when she said ‘don’t tell them about the money’? AJ mentioned a money transfer. Is that connected?”

  I looked out the window instead of at Rose. We were outside the downtown mix of crafty shops, old homes, and tourists bustling along the narrow streets. She drove along the curvy Oceanside Road giving me random glimpses of Blueberry Bay glistening beyond the rocky coastline. My breathing settled into a normal rhythm.

  “I’ll tell you what I know when we get to Sea Breeze. There’s no point in telling it twice. And, to be honest, I don’t know much. Lily has the story and, so far, she hasn’t shared much with me.”

  I turned and studied Rose’s profile—rigid with concern I decided. “Where are you going to store the blueberries?”

  “That’s a huge problem for Luke.”

  “Really? Aren’t we sort of responsible for helping him out with that?”

  Rose reached across the wide front seat and held my hand. Her warmth and strength traveled straight to my heart. Even when we quarreled, we never stayed upset with each other for long. “That’s not what I meant. Luke already unloaded the berries into the walk-in freezer at the diner. He had his dad’s key to let himself in.”

  “Oh,” I said and smiled at her, relieved at least one issue was off the table. “No problem then.” As soon as the words left my lips, the meaning behind her statement hit me. “He was in the diner this morning?” A cold chill raised goosebumps along my arms.

  Now I saw a determined line around her mouth. “Uh huh,” she said, confirming my worst suspicion.

  “Who else knows he was inside?” My first instinct was to bury this information as deep as possible.

  “It’s not something he can lie about, Dani.” Rose’s voice came out soft and heavy with worry. “Luke left the invoice with the date of delivery written in his own handwriting. It won’t take AJ more than an eye blink to put two and two together. Talking to Luke will be high on his agenda. That’s why I suggested Luke come to my house before going home. It gives him a breather before the storm hits on the farm.”

  I didn’t know what to make of this latest twist. Pip whined in the back seat as if she understood my worry. She jumped over the front seat and pushed herself under Rose’s hat where she curled up on my lap. “Quite a morning for you, little girl,” I murmured taking in the events for myself as I stroked her head which poked out from under one side of the hat.

  “What’s your plan for Pip?” Rose asked as she pulled between the two granite pillars that marked her driveway.

  “Well, Lily, goodhearted though she is, really isn’t a dog person. And poor Pip already had one traumatic chapter in her life by the time Ray found her wandering on the beach—drenched, starving, and near death—and who knows what happened this morning at the Little Dog Diner, I think, if she’ll have me, I’ll share my life with her.”

  I looked at Rose, hoping she agreed with my decision, but if she didn’t, it wouldn’t change my mind one bit because it was already made up.

  Rose hit the button to open her garage door and pulled inside.

  Pip raised her head and looked at me. I felt a shiver run through her little body. “Don’t worry, Pip, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Rose turned the car off and shifted in the seat until she faced me. “I like to pride myself on my ability to anticipate what’s happening in this town. But I have to say, this morning came as a shock of all shocks. But, one thing I’m sure of, you and Pip are absolutely right for each other.”

  She reached over and scratched under Pip’s ear. Her little tongue came out and licked Rose’s fingers.

  My heart soared. It wasn’t often that Rose ever told me that anything was absolutely right, so I had to be sure that Pip and I didn’t let her down. The only other time she’d told me something was absolutely right for me was when I brought Luke to meet her after our first date. She told me, “Dani, that boy will make your heart sing and your feet fly.”

  She sure got that wrong! He left town and made my heart crack into a million pieces, and my feet get sucked into the mud.

  I hugged Pip and decided I’d settle for her unconditional love instead.

  Chapter Six

  Rose owned Sea Breeze, a shingled and wind-swept two-story, many-bedroomed house of memories on a point of land that had one side of her house facing Blueberry Bay and the other side sheltered under towering pines. It had been my home for ten years, since I was sixteen until I moved to the apartment in town a year ago. Pip and I followed Rose from the garage through to the kitchen to find Luke and the teakettle whistling. That didn’t mean much I told myself, anyone could boil water, but it was a sweet gesture. One tiny crack in my heart mended when I smelled mint tea steeping. He had remembered one of my favorites.

  His smile, when he turned at the sound of our footsteps, crinkled the edges of his eyes and mended another tiny crack. I was in deep trouble with Luke Sinclair back in Misty Harbor.

  “Rose, I hope you don’t mind that I raided your fridge and made us lobster rolls for lunch.” Luke set a tray on the counter with plump rolls spilling pink lobster meat over the sides. My stomach growled and my mouth watered in anticipation. I wasn’t used to a handsome man serving me lunch on a warm summer day. It felt better than a soak in a hot tub.

  Pip’s nails clicked on the tiled floor as she danced around my legs. I snuck a loose piece of lobster to her and she politely sniffed it before licking it off my fingers. She looked up at me, telegraphing a more please expression, and I imagined it cemented the new bond between us.

  Luke crouched down in front of Pip. “Here you go,” he said, pulling a small dog bone from his pocket. He held it out and Pip just about lost her mind jumping for it. “She might like this better,” he said to me with the grin that used to melt my heart.

  She took the bone daintily between her front teeth and went to work on it. Luke ruffled her ears and added, “I alw
ays keep a few in my pocket for the dogs I meet on my deliveries.”

  Luke had always been a softy when it came to animals, collecting all sorts of injured creatures and giving them a second chance. Should I think he might give my injured heart a second chance, too? Get a grip, Dani, I told myself. Forget about romance. There are more important things happening—a murder to solve for instance.

  “Dani? What is it with you today?” Rose touched my arm, and looked at me with concern, snapping me away from my nostalgic memories and hopeful fantasies. “You can’t seem to stay focused for more time than it takes for a wave to crash on the beach. Grab some glasses, the pitcher of water, and the pot of tea. We’re going to sit on the patio, enjoy our lobster rolls, the sound of the tide rolling in, and the scent of the sea breeze.”

  I could manage that, I told myself.

  Once we were all settled, Rose pinned me with her look. “It’s time for you to tell us what Lily meant about the money she didn’t want us to know about.”

  I took a bite of my lobster roll, buying time to replay my earlier conversation with Lily. “Delicious lunch.” I wiped the edge of my mouth with the back of my hand, shifted in my seat, and let out a deep sigh. “Something’s going on that smells like rotten eggs and it didn’t start with Ray’s fake funeral.”

  Luke choked and pounded on his chest. It looked like he got his napkin in front of his mouth just in time to avoid an embarrassing spray of food. “I thought Ray was murdered,” he managed to mumble after his coughing fit subsided.

  “Oh, he was,” I said. “The fake funeral happened before someone murdered him in the kitchen of the Little Dog Diner.”

  Luke shook his head. He must have been trying to dislodge this craziness before he asked any more questions. “I know Ray was always into drama in a big way but a fake funeral? That seems a bit much even for him.”

  I sank back into Rose’s expensive patio chair and crossed one leg over the other. “What Lily said is that they planned a reconciliation and the fake funeral was somehow supposed to convince his family that Lily really did still love him. Lily bringing me along was an added prop.”

  “And the money?” Rose asked, adjusting her ever-present straw hat and getting me back on track with her original question.

  “The money was an incentive to get back in Lily’s good graces.” I sipped my mint tea not convinced it was the best beverage for a warm summer day.

  “Oh, my lord.” Rose stared across the bay. “Buying someone’s affection can’t be a good idea for a successful marriage on any level.”

  “That’s what I told Lily. Plus, Ray wanted her to make an offer to buy your building. He knew you’d never sell to him.” I was probably imagining it, but it sure looked like Rose’s pupils turned as dark as a raging nor’easter in the middle of January.

  “I’ll wait for Lily to explain all that,” she replied in what sounded to be a calm voice. But I knew Rose and I knew something was brewing underneath that calm exterior. And, I was glad I wouldn’t be the target.

  We heard a car door slam. Pip, who had been sitting in the shade of my chair, charged along the stone path leading to the front of the house. “I hope that’s Lily, come to her senses.” I didn’t hold out much hope for that, though, after the morning craziness.

  Pip, with her head high and prancing like a little princess, led Lily to us. My best friend, on the other hand, dragged her feet, and hung her head. I could only imagine the embarrassment she must be feeling—something like facing a firing squad.

  Rose, to her credit, embraced Lily like she was a wounded robin in need of some tender loving care. Her multi colored skirt blew in the breeze and she had to clamp her hand on her straw hat to keep it from cartwheeling away. “Come and sit with us, dear. Are you hungry? You must be. Would you like a lobster roll? Of course, you would.”

  Rose’s rapid-fire questions and answers gave Lily no chance to respond. Her lip quivered when she glanced in my direction but with her eyes hidden behind dark glasses, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. She had no idea that Rose was making her comfy so she could come in for the kill.

  Rose pulled a fourth chair next to mine, opened a big umbrella to shade us, and set a plate with a lobster roll in Lily’s lap.

  “Before you all start to shoot questions at me, there are a couple of things I have to say.” Lily slid off her sunglasses, swallowed, and pulled her long blonde braid over her shoulder. Her habit when she was nervous.

  We waited.

  “I didn’t kill Ray.”

  “Of course you didn’t,” I said. “You were with me in my apartment.” I couldn’t help but wonder if there was any sliver of chance that she had time to slip down to the diner while I was in my room changing, but I kept that thought to myself.

  “Besides that,” Lily continued, “I had no intention of trying to buy Rose’s building. I only wanted Ray’s money so I wouldn’t have to rely on some sort of allowance from him.” She looked at me. “I knew you’d tell them about the money, Dani.”

  “Why did Ray want my building, Lily?” Rose asked. She kept her voice neutral even though I knew she must have been fuming inside.

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure, but he floated the idea about an upscale restaurant in a prime location.” I couldn’t miss the blush that crept over her cheeks. “He thought I should be managing a fancier restaurant that would cater to the tourists instead of,” Lily made finger quotes, “‘the dumb diner that the locals go to’—Ray’s words. He thought your building would be perfect for what he was planning.”

  I jumped to my feet ready to kill someone. The only problem was that the subject of my anger was already dead. “What? That slime ball insulted our diner? Everyone in town loves our breakfast and lunch food. Who does he think he is?”

  Rose patted my arm. “Don’t forget that Ray is dead. He can’t follow through on any of his plans now, Dani. My question is,” she pinpointed her glare on Lily, “why did you go along with his scheme?”

  “I really wanted to give our marriage another chance. I know you think I’m foolish but, well, I just did. I didn’t want our new beginning to start with a big fight. I planned to work on changing his mind over time.” She looked away from all of us. Part of me felt sorry that she’d never get a second chance with Ray, but the other part of me was thrilled she wouldn’t get that second chance. I knew that didn’t make any sense, but in my heart, I knew Lily was better off without Ray in her life.

  My internal debate almost made me miss Lily’s next statement.

  “…and, I think my life is in danger. That’s why I took off when we found Ray dead on the floor in the diner. I panicked, Dani. I just lost my common sense and took off.”

  My hand darted to Lily and grabbed hers. With both hands, I pulled it to my chest. “What are you talking about? What kind of danger?” All my frustration with her evaporated in that millisecond of concern for her safety.

  Rose poured a glass of ice water from a pitcher on the patio table and handed it to Lily. “Drink this and then tell us what’s going on. This story gets more mixed up by the minute.”

  Luke, who had been sitting silently while the three of us aired our woes, stood up and paced across the patio. It was obvious to me that something was bothering him, but I assumed he was concerned about what Lily just told us. Luke, to his credit, had more empathy than most men I knew.

  “There’s something I probably should tell you that fills a gap in Lily’s story,” Luke said. He had finally settled back in his chair and planted his elbows on his knees. He barely got any words out with his jaw clenched so tightly. I sure hoped he wasn’t about to confess that he’d bludgeoned Ray Lemay over the head. I might be able to forgive him for the murder but not for desecrating my beloved cherry rolling pin.

  All eyes were on Luke.

  “Here’s the thing,” he began. “I found out that Ray was behind the person putting the pressure on my dad to sell Blueberry Acres. I had a shouting match with Ray … in the town square …
with plenty of witnesses.”

  Rose flicked her wrist dismissively. “I saw that. It means nothing. Of course you were upset. It’s not like you attacked him physically.”

  Luke raised his hand to stop her. “True, but with me being at the diner this morning to deliver your blueberries, it puts me at the scene of the crime. It won’t take much for people to make the leap and assume I might have killed Ray to stop him from helping someone buy the farm. If I were anyone else, I’d see it as a pretty strong motive.”

  My heart sank when I saw the despair and worry etched on Luke’s face. Did I think he killed Ray Lemay? Not really, but hadn’t I just had murderous thoughts myself? Sometimes things happen in the heat of the moment.

  Ray brought out those deadly reactions in many people.

  The question was, who else would like to see Ray dead?

  Chapter Seven

  Luke left us with our half-eaten lobster rolls and anxiety-filled thoughts. At least, that’s how I felt. Sitting on Rose’s patio with Blueberry Bay stretched in front of us should have been a relaxing way to spend a summer afternoon, but with Lily spilling her guts to us, the day couldn’t end soon enough.

  Rose gathered up the plates. “I’m taking this inside before the seagulls swoop in and help themselves. I really don’t want to encourage that kind of visitor to my patio. Come on Pip, I’ll fix something for you, too.”

  “Here’s the thing,” Lily said when it was just the two of us and the view, “Ray confessed to me that he had some shady clients looking for prime real estate. The trouble started when he promised he could deliver a piece of property on the Bay to get them to buy a worthless piece of unbuildable property he had to unload. I don’t know what he was thinking, because he knew he couldn’t deliver the waterfront land. He didn’t seem to think there would be any consequences.”

  “Let me guess,” I said, “Ray needed Rose’s building and the blueberry farm to make those creeps happy.”