Mixing Up Murder

by Emmie Lyn

  The place settings concerned me. “Is someone else coming?”

  I hoped Rose hadn’t roped Luke into coming back. I’d face him at some point, but not yet.

  Before anyone could answer my question, Pip jumped onto the built-in window seat and burrowed into the cushions as if she’d enjoyed her breakfast here every day of her life. I laughed at her cheekiness. Rose gave me a peck on the cheek by way of welcome back and set a small bowl in front of Pip with the promised rice and chicken, treating her like the honored guest Pip clearly thought she was—breakfast guest number four.

  Pip dug into her food without any encouragement, and I realized that she probably hadn’t eaten much since the day before. I admired her manners; she didn’t inhale the food all at once, nor make a mess. She carefully and methodically cleaned the bowl without one bit of rice spilling on the table.

  I, on the other hand, stuffed a piece of bacon in my mouth and was reaching for another piece when Rose slapped my hand. “Go wash up and stop acting like a cavewoman, Dani. You’re lucky we made enough for you after the way you ran out of here without so much as a see you later, Rose and Lily.”

  “Sorry,” I said, heading for the sink with a mock hangdog look. Rose put up a pretense of anger at my behavior as a cover for her worry about me. I’d seen that act before. I deserved the pangs of guilt for my thoughtless behavior; I should have known better. I know how she worries. But the fact that they had made enough breakfast for me, spoke to her forgiving nature. That was my beloved Rose.

  “Sit down and tell us what happened,” Lily said when I finished drying my hands on a towel. She slid a plate with toast, bacon, and an omelet with cheese oozing out the ends in front of me before she sat down across from me with her own plate. Rose sat opposite Pip and the best view from the table.

  “Nothing much really happened, I suppose. I was enjoying Luke’s company while he grated the cheese. He said how happy he was to be back here. I told him I was sorry to hear about his divorce—which was sort of a lie—and he froze with the cheese in one hand and the grater in the other.”

  Rose shook her head in disgust. “If Luke isn’t divorced, his dad must be losing his mind,” she said. “Spencer told me that Luke was divorced, and he moved back here for good.”

  I drummed my fingers on the table. “Well, he’s not divorced, I don’t know how long he’s planning to stay, and I couldn’t have felt like a bigger fool when he corrected me.”

  “Did you get mad and tell him to leave?” Lily asked. It was a fair question.

  “No. I just mumbled something stupid and he left. He must have known how embarrassed I was, or maybe he was embarrassed. I don’t know, but I don’t think I can ever look him in the eye again.”

  Rose reached across the table and wrapped her hand around mine. “Don’t shut him out. He needs all of us to be his friend now more than ever. There’s something else he told me when he found out about the murder weapon.”

  “My rolling pin? Don’t tell me Luke touched it while he was making the blueberry delivery. No one is supposed to touch that rolling pin except me!”

  I didn’t like the look of concern knitting Rose’s brows together when she dropped her bombshell. “He put the rolling pin on top of the invoice to keep it from getting knocked off the counter. He didn’t know our system of tacking it to the bulletin board, so he grabbed the first thing he saw to use as a weight.”

  I dropped my head into my hands. “That means his fingerprints are on the murder weapon. He was in the diner, he touched the murder weapon, and he argued with the victim. Twice if you count the time Ray brought that Marty guy out to Blueberry Acres and Luke told them to get lost.”

  Rose squeezed my hand. “He’s very concerned how it all looks to the police. Unless someone comes forward that saw him at the stop after the Little Dog Diner, he thinks it’s only a matter of time before AJ arrests him. That’s why we,” she gestured around the table, “need to make a plan before AJ thinks he has this murder all wrapped up in a nice neat package with Luke in jail and the key thrown out in the bay.”

  This was all too upsetting. Not Luke. No matter how battered my heart felt at the news I wouldn’t have a chance at getting him back after all, I certainly didn’t want him jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. But before I could tackle that problem, I picked up my fork and dug into the omelet. “Okay,” I said, “But after we eat. Like Lily said, I’m not good on an empty stomach.”

  Pip had licked her bowl clean, and she was now curled up on the pillows in the window seat. She serenaded us with soft snores that sounded between the clinks of our forks on the plates, and her nose twitched as she dreamed away. Maybe tackling yoga-lady again. Pip seemed to have adjusted to her new routine without any side effects that I could see. A hearty appetite. Check. Sleeping well. Check. And most important, she hadn’t wandered off in search of Ray. We were definitely a team now.

  I wiped the last bits of omelet up with my toast, washed it all down with orange juice, and leaned back in my chair. “Thank you, Rose, for feeding me. I didn’t even know how hungry I was. Now, what’s the plan you’ve been talking about?”

  Rose picked up her coffee cup and held it between both hands as if she needed to soak up the warmth. “Lily has an appointment to talk to Frank and Nick Wilde about Ray’s funeral. Dani, you’re going with her to help with the details.”

  “But—”

  Rose raised her hand and cut me off before I could express how unhelpful I thought I’d be. Especially since other Lemay family members most likely would object to my butting in, judging by their reaction to my entrance at Ray’s fake funeral. None of the Lemay’s had ever held much fondness for me, and I was sure they wouldn’t want me around for his real service.

  Rose was firm. “No buts, Dani. Lily needs you there for support. Ray’s family will try to push her around, and I want you to smile sweetly and tell them to bugger off.”

  I grinned. “I can do that. And I’ll enjoy it, too.” Which was exactly why Rose gave me that job.

  “Also,” she paused to make sure I was paying attention. I was used to that trick of hers. “You’ll keep an eye on Ray’s family members, on Frank and Nick Wilde, and anyone else who shows up. I’m thinking that the family lawyer will nose around. Ray was the type to cross all his T’s and dot his I’s. He might have expressed specific details about his last wishes. His lawyer could be running the show.”

  “What do you think Lily?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if all this talk about Ray’s funeral was hard for her. After all, she had been considering a reconciliation.

  “I think I’m ready to stick it to his family for everything I can.”

  I looked at Rose who had her eyebrows raised to match what mine probably looked like. Sometimes Lily managed to surprise me. “That’s perfect, then.”

  “We need to be at the funeral home in a half hour. And, Pip is coming, too. That will really annoy Ray’s mother. She hated it when he adopted her.”

  I could tell that Lily was already relishing her new role as the grieving widow with power she never had during her marriage. I chuckled. Where had this side of Lily been hiding? It didn’t matter. I was glad she’d finally tapped into it.

  “And there’s one more thing I need you both to help me with,” Rose said. “Normally, I can handle all the articles in the Blueberry Bay Grapevine, but this murder is much bigger news than I’m used to dealing with. I’ll need you two to do some interviewing for me.”

  I rubbed my hands together like I was warming up for all this activity. “That gives us the perfect cover for asking questions without looking like we’re doing something we shouldn’t be sticking our nose into.” I practiced what I thought might be my professional interviewing voice—deeper than normal and a bit stilted. “Hello, I’m working for the Blueberry Bay Grapevine. Where were you between ten and twelve on Monday morning?”

  “Perfect.” Rose smiled her I-mean-business smile with its double hint that she couldn’t wait to get to the bott
om of this mess.

  Pip, perky and refreshed from her power nap, jumped off the pillows. The little eavesdropper must have heard everything we said, and she was ready to get to work, too.

  Great. The sooner this murder was solved, the better for everyone. Luke could focus on Blueberry Acres; Lily could figure out her future; Rose could stop hovering over me (maybe); and I could get back into the Little Dog Diner and do what I did best—feed people.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lily had managed to bake the blueberry coffee cake while I was off in Rose’s MG having my little pity party. She had it packed in a covered container, ready to go, in the time it took me to take a quick shower and change my clothes. My outfit options were limited to a denim skirt paired with a light blue and pink striped blouse, which I decided wouldn’t offend anyone when we met with Ray’s family to figure out his funeral.

  “Take my MG,” Rose offered as I slipped my purse over my arm. She reached across the counter and slid the keys toward me. “I know how much you love it, but please, Dani, be careful and don’t park near any of those monster SUV’s.”

  I grinned my thanks and hugged my grandmother. She gave me an extra tight squeeze and whispered, “Keep your eyes open, your mouth closed, and your ears tuned into everyone’s comments. You don’t need to be the show today, just Lily’s supportive best friend.” She pushed me away to arm’s length. “Got it?” She zipped her fingers across her lips for emphasis and added, “Especially, mouth closed.”

  “Got it, Rose. You can count on me.” I wanted so much to please her but the part about keeping my mouth closed might get me into trouble. I’d have to work extra hard on that one.

  She narrowed her eyes and glowered at me like she was about to reveal a state secret. “And one more thing. Watch how Pip behaves around anyone you meet today. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if she has leftover anxiety from yesterday’s murder. She might be able to clue us into whoever killed Ray.”

  “Pip?” I suppressed a grin because she was serious. “If we’re looking at suspects based on Pip’s likes and dislikes, then Ava Fontaine has to be at the top of that list. She attacked that woman with a vengeance that made me proud. I don’t doubt that Pip would have tried to shake her like a rag doll if I hadn’t scooped her up in time.”

  “Good point,” Rose said. “It wouldn’t hurt to find out Ava’s whereabouts for Monday morning. Renters like the Fontaines might fly under AJ’s radar.”

  Lily tugged on my arm impatiently. “We’ve got to get going, or I’ll be late, Dani. You can follow me.”

  After another quick hug with Rose to channel her love and strength, Pip and I got in the MG and followed Lily into town. Pip put her front paws on the dashboard, which gave her enough height to see everything and provide support when I took the corners a bit too fast. Keeping up with Lily was no small feat.

  “Drat,” I muttered to Pip as I searched the full parking lot in front of Two Wilde Funeral Home. Time for Plan B. With the safety of Rose’s MG in mind, I drove to the edge of the universe. That’s what it seemed like when I found a spot at the far end of the lot away from the pickups and SUVs likely to ding the precious sportscar. I quickly locked up, and Pip and I jogged to catch up with Lily who had zipped into the last vacant spot close to the entrance.

  She stood behind her car waiting for us, and I asked, “Nervous, Lil?” when I walked up to her. I fiddled with the collar of her shirt that had gone awry and tucked some blond wisps of hair behind her ear.

  She pulled her long braid over her shoulder and bit her lip. “A little. Thanks for coming with me. Do you think Pip will behave herself?”

  “I hope not.” I nudged Lily, and she laughed. I hoped it helped to calm her a bit. We needed to be on our toes and not miss anything important. “Ready to shake up this meeting?”

  After a long inhale and a slow exhale, Lily nodded.

  As we headed for the enormous front door, Pip dashed ahead prancing like the little princess she was. “She knows this place, Lil. I bet she came here a lot with Ray while he planned the fake funeral. Was he close to Frank and Nick Wilde? I mean, like real friends or were they just business associates?”

  Lily paused before she pulled the door open. “Because of Ray’s big ego, he thought everyone adored him. He loved to say that he never met anyone who didn’t become a new best friend after five minutes. I suppose that means he really didn’t know what it meant to be a friend. He defined friendship as how someone else could be of use to him.” With her hand still on the door, she added, “Thinking back, whenever I saw Ray with Frank or Nick, they were always cordial to him, but I don’t think they liked him as a friend. They had to be nice because Ray owns this building.”

  “Owned the building, Lil. You know what that means?”

  “What?”

  “You own it now. Frank and Nick will be falling all over you to make you think you’re their newest best friend. Watch out for those two brothers.”

  Lily didn’t budge from her spot. “I’m not sure I want all the responsibility that fell in my lap because of Ray’s death. His family will have their knives sharpened and ready to stab me in the back. Maybe not literally, but I hadn’t thought about the business angle and all that comes with it until just now.”

  Pip scratched on the door. “Someone’s ready to go inside. Let’s follow Pip’s lead and see where it takes us, Lil.” I linked my arm through hers, pulled the door open, and we walked inside Two Wilde Funeral Home like we owned it. Well, one of us almost did.

  Pip trotted along the dark red carpet past several rooms set up with rows of chairs. At the end of the hallway, she turned straight to the last room.

  It had no casket, so I scratched it as a viewing room. However, the oval mahogany table set up with at least ten chairs was begging for a meeting to take place. A coffeemaker on a cart dripped its liquid caffeine into the glass carafe. Pip jumped onto the chair nearest the windows and made herself comfortable.

  I looked at Lily. “Is this where we’re meeting?”

  Because of the extra cushy carpet, I never heard footsteps approaching, but I certainly felt the hand touch my back, which raised the hair on my neck.

  The voice attached to the hand addressed Lily, though, not me. “You’re a little early, Lily, but come on in. I see you brought Danielle. And is that Pip sitting in Raymond’s seat? Oh, excuse me, where he last sat?”

  Lily, to her credit sounded cool, calm, and collected. “Hello, Frank. I brought a blueberry coffee cake to go with your, umm, refreshments.” She cast a disapproving eye at the lonely pot of coffee as she handed her offering to Frank. “Where’s Nick?” The other half of the Two Wilde Funeral Home owners.

  I swear he salivated as he accepted Lily’s coffee cake. “Nick will be right along,” he said with a slick smile. “Don’t worry. Make yourselves comfortable while I pour you both some coffee.”

  He increased the pressure on my back, and I had no choice but to walk into the conference room. I chose the chair next to Pip and signaled that Lily should sit on the other side of her.

  Frank concentrated on fixing a tray with coffee, cream, sugar, and slices of Lily’s coffee cake. Perhaps when you work with dead people you don’t develop the skill of serving refreshments and talking at the same time. He opened up when he placed the tray on the conference table and indicated we should help ourselves, apparently freeing his mouth for conversation.

  He addressed Lily first. “You must be devastated over what happened to Ray. You know, he was working on transferring this building to us. He said it was time to divest and focus more on his marriage.”

  He gave her a smile that was as fake as a pink plastic flamingo stuck in a snowdrift.

  I tried not to gag.

  A steaming cup of coffee appeared in front of me, but Frank’s attention was on Lily. He was doing a great job trying to soothe her into some kind of trance with his low, deliberate voice.

  “What’s your offer for the building?” I asked.

&nb
sp; His hand jerked, sloshing coffee onto the highly polished surface of the table. My question threw him off, just like I had hoped it would. I smiled sweetly and grabbed a napkin off the tray to mop up the mess.

  “Is that any of your business, Danielle?” Frank gave me a mind-your-manners glare.

  I arched one eyebrow and shot back a your-little-act-isn’t-working-on-me sneer. “As a matter of fact, Frank,” I said, “it is my business because Lily and I are partners.”

  She kicked my foot under the table. We were partners at the Little Dog Diner, so why couldn’t I expand a little to help her out in other parts of her life?

  Before anyone had a chance to respond, Pip, who had been eyeing the coffee cake, jumped on the table, slid across the slippery surface, and crashed into the tray spilling coffee onto the dessert and turning everything into a soggy, sticky mess that oozed dangerously close to the edge of the table.

  I looked at Frank. His mouth hung open.

  “You’d better find some more napkins or a cloth or something before this mess drips on your carpet.” I pushed my chair back, trying to be helpful but the damage was done. Frank’s face was red with anger.

  “I always told Ray to keep that dog out of here,” he fumed. “She’s nothing but a pest. She knocks the flowers over, nips the customers, and she even piddled on the carpet a few times.” He pointed at me. “You and the dog have to leave.”

  I gave Lily my best injured pout. “It’s your building, Lil, what do you want me to do?” I loved playing this good guy–bad guy thing with her even if she didn’t know that was the plan.

  Lily stood up and brushed the wrinkles out of her dress. “If you’re serious about wanting to buy this building, Frank, I suggest you clean up this mess so we can get our meeting under way. Dani and Pip stay with me. That’s not negotiable.”

  I pressed my lips together to keep my laughter inside instead of letting it bubble out in front of Frank. At this point, laughing in his face wouldn’t be helpful. I also managed to corral Pip, get her off the table, and minimize cute doggy prints on the rest of the gleaming mahogany surface.