A Chorus Lineup (A Glee Club Mystery) (26 page)

Without waiting for me to acknowledge his edict, Mike got out and started jogging in the direction of the Parthenon. He wasn’t wearing a uniform or his gun, but the tension in his body and the way he studied the cars he passed screamed cop. I just hoped Kelly didn’t see what to me appeared so obvious. If she did, Aunt Millie would be in even more trouble.

I watched the clock on my phone as the minutes crept by. Twenty minutes left. Nineteen. Eighteen. When my clock told me fifteen minutes remained, I opened the car door and got out. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The storm was getting closer.

I rubbed my arms with my hands and squinted at the Parthenon, trying to see whether Kelly was one of the people standing outside. It was hard to tell from here. I checked my phone. No messages from Mike, and there were fourteen minutes left. Yes, Mike had said to stay here, but the time crunch was making me nervous, especially being this far away from where in mere minutes I needed to be. Grabbing my purse from the passenger’s seat, I hurried down the sidewalk.

Aha. I spotted a street vendor selling large canvas bags with the word “Nashville” on the side. Kelly expected me to arrive with LuAnn’s purse. Since I didn’t have that purse, I was going to do the next best thing. Bluff.

Armed with the bag, two Nashville travel mugs, gray sweatpants with a guitar decal ironed onto the ass, and a stuffed animal wearing a “Country Music Rocks” T-shirt, I put my now-lighter wallet back in my purse and shoved everything including my purse into the Nashville bag. Then I studied my work. Would Kelly believe I had LuAnn’s enormous purple purse shoved inside? I sure hoped so, because it was the only idea I had.

Eight minutes remained until meeting time. A light rain began to fall from the sky. My phone dinged. I had a message. Hoping Mike was going to tell me that Millie had been found and the Nashville cops had Kelly in custody, I looked down at my phone.

Not Mike. The message was from Aldo. He and Killer were here at the park and were headed for the Parthenon, determined to help rescue Millie. Oh shit.

I didn’t think. I just ran.

The raindrops were fatter and more numerous as I bolted down the sidewalk. The heels I had worn to my audition weren’t conducive to footraces, but I didn’t care. I needed to find Aldo before Kelly spotted him and decided to run or attack. Either option was bad.

I stepped on a crack in the sidewalk and turned my ankle, but I didn’t stop running. The Parthenon was closer. And there—I spotted a woman with black hair. She was looking in the opposite direction so I couldn’t get a clear view of her face, but I was pretty sure it was Kelly Jensen. Aldo and Killer weren’t in view.

My cell phone buzzed. The message from Mike asked, “Where are you?”

He must be back at the car. Doing my best to shield the phone from the falling rain, I typed, “Went to meeting. Aldo is here.” Kelly’s eyes settled on me as I was sliding my phone back into my pocket. She stood in the covered area between two massive columns. A folded umbrella was in her left hand, taunting me with the fact that she had the protection from the rain I currently was in need of. I quickly forgot about my wet state when I noticed her hand shoved into the bulging pocket of her stylish off-white trench. I had no idea what Kelly had in that pocket, but I was pretty sure I didn’t want to find out.

Despite the fact I was still getting drenched, I slowed my pace. Kelly’s eyes shifted from my face to the bag on my shoulder. At least a dozen people were standing in the Parthenon’s columned entrance, looking at the falling rain, which made approaching Kelly slightly less scary. She wasn’t going to attack me in front of witnesses. Was she?

“Stop right there,” Kelly yelled when I was just steps away from the columns and the shelter they provided.

“It’s pouring,” I said, glancing behind me. Still no sign of Aldo. Maybe Killer had given Aldo trouble getting out of the car. Unless it was at the overpriced, incredibly pretentious dog salon Millie insisted on using, Killer hated getting wet. “Maybe you could step back? That would give me room to come inside,” I suggested.

Kelly shook her head and shifted the hand in her pocket. “I want you to take the item I asked you to bring out of your bag and place it on the ground.”

Now that I was closer, I could see the bump in her pocket better. Something was poking the fabric out and there was only one thing I could think of. A gun.

Swallowing down my panic, I said, “I want to see Aunt Millie. Where is she?”

“She’s around.”

“That’s not good enough,” I said. “How do I know you’ve seen her today? You might be taking advantage of her disappearance to get LuAnn’s purse. You really should’ve grabbed it after you hit her with your car. Now that you’ve ransacked my hotel room and kidnapped my aunt, people are going to know you’re behind everything.”

Kelly frowned. “LuAnn was single-handedly destroying the legacy my husband left behind, not to mention putting the children we’re here to protect at risk. All she cared about was money and feeling powerful.”

“So what was the plan? You’d meet with LuAnn and convince her to turn over a new leaf?” Talk about optimistic.

“No, not exactly. I was going to offer her money if she’d admit to me all of the things she’d done and walk away from working with the competition. I was going to record the whole conversation. That way she couldn’t bilk me out of my money. She’d have to go away and stay away. For good.”

A couple unfurled an umbrella and walked past Kelly into the rain. They gave me a strange look, since it appeared I had chosen to stand in the rain instead of duck for cover.

Ignoring them, I said, “Clearly, that plan didn’t work.”

Kelly’s eyes narrowed. “I knew it wouldn’t. LuAnn always had to be difficult. Why should this time be any different? She came to the theater expecting Christine. When she learned I was the one who set up the meeting and that Christine had no intent to boot your team from the competition as she’d demanded, LuAnn got angry. She started screaming that I was a joke. How Christine and the competition only kept me around out of pity. That everyone knew I didn’t have the flu when my husband died and that the other woman in the car was the mistress he was going to divorce me for.”

Ouch.

The phone in my pocket vibrated, but I wasn’t exactly in the position to answer as Kelly said, “I realized how stupid I was to think that LuAnn was only interested in money. She liked ruining people. So I climbed into my car. She yelled that she wasn’t surprised I was running. That I was weak. That’s why my husband was going to leave me and she was going to make sure people learned the truth. She was going to ruin my husband’s memory and destroy the reputation I’d built just like she was going to ruin this contest. Fate had already taken my husband, daughter, and granddaughter. I couldn’t let LuAnn take the only things I had left.”

“So you ran her down.”

“I’d originally planned on shooting her, but found I couldn’t do it. I was lucky LuAnn goaded me into running her down.”

“Lucky” wasn’t the word I’d use.

“When I got home, I called the police to give them the tip that someone had killed LuAnn, only they were already on the scene. They said someone else had contacted them. For a while I was worried they’d be able to save her. I waited for the cops to come to my door. Instead, Christine called and told me that you’d found LuAnn dead. I was relieved until I remembered LuAnn’s purse and the divorce papers she found that my husband filed right before he died.”

“Why would it matter if that got out?” Call me crazy, but the man was dead.

“I spent my entire life dedicated to being the perfect wife and mother. It’s the reason people ask me to sit on their boards and work on their charities. Without that I have nothing. Now give me the purse so all of this can end.”

I saw the glint of metal as Kelly’s hand shifted out of her pocket. The gun was small, but in this case I was pretty sure size didn’t matter.

Mike and the Nashville police had to be nearby. I just needed a little more time so they could show up and save the day. Desperate, I latched onto the only other question I could think of. “Why did you call me and tell me to meet you at the theater?” If it hadn’t have been for that, I’d have never found LuAnn or called the cops or ended up standing here taking a shower in front of the Parthenon.

Kelly shook her head as if disappointed that I wasn’t smart enough to figure it out on my own. “The police needed someone to blame for LuAnn’s murder. I chose you. Now give me the purse.”

There was nothing wrong with Kelly’s reflexes. One minute she was standing next to a fake Greek column; the next she was shoving me to the ground and grabbing the Nashville bag off my arm with her left hand. Her right hand still held the gun. I rolled to the right and sprang to my feet, ready to launch myself at Kelly, but a big growling puff of white got there first.

“Ow!” Kelly screamed as Killer’s teeth clamped down on her wrist. Kelly kicked at the dog, but he didn’t release his hold. Kelly had kidnapped Millie, and Killer was pissed.

People standing in the Parthenon shouted for help. And help came. As if by magic, a very wet-looking Mike and a number of cops appeared from every direction. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aldo huffing and puffing as he hurried in our direction.

“Nashville Police Department. Drop the weapon,” someone yelled.

Maybe Kelly didn’t hear. Or maybe she was just too angry to pay attention to the direction. She kicked at Killer and let out another scream as Killer chomped down on her arm and yanked it to the left.

That was when Kelly’s gun fired. One of the cops fired back. A bright red spot appeared on the side of Kelly’s white coat as she dropped her gun and fell to the ground.

Cops hurried through the rain to restrain her. As if understanding his prey was down for the count, Killer let go and trotted to Aldo, who gave Kelly’s downed body a satisfied nod. Then Aldo asked the important question, “Where is Millie?”

I had no idea.

“Kelly had her stashed at her home.” Mike strolled over, holding an umbrella. “The police were verifying that Millie was there and safe before moving to apprehend. You’d have known that if you’d stayed where I told you to stay and waited to read the message I sent.”

Oops.

Mike turned and put his hand on Aldo’s shoulder. “EMTs are giving Millie the once-over now. If you want, I can have one of the cops drive you and Killer over to keep her company while she waits to answer some questions.”

Aldo didn’t have to be asked twice. He grabbed Killer’s leash and made a beeline for the line of cop cars parked to the far side of the park. A few minutes later, Mike had worked out the details and Aldo and Killer were zipping off to be with the love of their lives.

The rain had stopped by the time Kelly was taken away. I had answered a bunch of questions, and Mike and I were finally given the all clear to leave. It was two hours until showtime. I was thankful the hotel wasn’t far. We headed there for me to shower and change out of my still-wet clothes. As we drove, I expected Mike to express his displeasure at the way I’d disobeyed orders. Instead, he gave me a rundown on what I had missed while I was standing in the rain being threatened by a maniac. I guessed he was waiting to read me the riot act until I had stopped doing my impersonation of a drowned rat.

“The cops found your aunt tied to the living room armchair. Your aunt said Kelly picked that seat because she didn’t want Millie to be unnecessarily uncomfortable. After all, she was Kelly’s guest.”

Kelly had gotten Millie to the house by acting scared of Killer, which prompted Millie to put him in the hall. Once Millie came back, Kelly brandished her gun. She then took Millie out to the back loading dock, where Kelly had parked her car. With a gun pointed at her head, Millie was forced to drive to Kelly’s house, where she was then strapped to a chair. All in all, I’d say Kelly had an interesting take on hospitality.

“According to what I’ve heard from the detectives on scene, the inside of Kelly’s house makes it look like the entire family is still alive and well. The dining room table is set with five place settings, the bedrooms all have clothes hanging in the closets and shoes lined up in front of the bed. In the middle of notes about what breakfast food to buy for her granddaughter were diagrams of the pulley system used to drop that light bar.”

Creepy.

Mike pulled up to the hotel, and I waited for him to park before dashing to my room. The kids were already at the performing arts center, so I didn’t have to worry about my appearance wigging them out. Which was good, because one look in the bathroom mirror had me freaking. Mascara ran down my cheeks, and the blue dress that had once made me look polished and professional was now covered with mud and grass stains that the most gifted dry cleaner would not be able to remove.

Twenty minutes later, I’d showered, dried my hair, and changed into the lavender dress I’d packed in hopes the kids would make it to tonight’s final performance. The dress had floaty sleeves, a scooped back, and a drop waist. I thought it looked soft and romantic. The appreciative smile Mike gave me when I came out of the bathroom told me he agreed.

“Your aunt called.” Mike stood and slid his phone into his back pocket. “She and Aldo are on their way to the theater to help the kids get ready. I told them we’d be there soon.”

My aunt had been kidnapped and held hostage, and was still ready to work her makeup magic. The woman was a wonder.

Grabbing my purse, I studied Mike’s expression. He looked calm and totally at ease. This was not the look of a man who was going to yell at me for going against his cop directives. I was both relieved and confused. “Why haven’t you flipped?” I asked. “Normally you’d be screaming at me about how foolish I was to go to that meeting with Kelly.”

Mike shrugged. “I decided to try a different tack. If nothing else, it’ll set a precedent the next time something like this happens.”

“You think there’s going to be a next time?”

“Let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised. You attract trouble.” Mike smiled to soften the sting of his words. “The thing about today is that I don’t blame you for doing what you did. It’s not what I wanted, but you were worried about Aldo. And you were smart.” He picked up the bag with the Nashville logo. “You found a way to make Kelly think you had LuAnn’s purse, and you kept her talking long enough for the NPD to get into position. We were just about to take her down when she jumped you. I admit, seeing her point that gun gave me a bad moment. Killer is getting an extra-large box of dog biscuits from me.”

“He prefers bacon.”

“Bacon it is.” He chuckled and reached for my hand. “Look, I can’t promise that I won’t yell in the future when I’m worried that you’re doing something foolish or dangerous. There will be times I won’t be able to help it. That’s just how I react when someone I care about is in trouble. And when that someone is you . . .” His fingers traced a line along my jaw. “Let’s just say those feelings go a whole lot deeper. I want to try and make this work. What do you think?”

Maybe it was because I had almost died (again), or maybe it was because Mike was being nice, but something inside me shifted. And I knew exactly what I thought. “I think it’s going to be an interesting ride.”

The kiss he gave me confirmed that. Wow.

Unfortunately, any more talk about the future would have to wait. Music in Motion was getting ready for their final performance, and I needed to be there. Mike held my hand as we drove. I gave him an overview of what would happen tonight. First up—the four finalists in the all-girls division would compete. Then our division would take the stage. Once all performances were over, the awards would be announced. I hoped, now that Kelly was in police custody, everything would go smoothly. Although, there were still one or two loose ends I needed to tie up.

Mike came with me to the staging room to check on Millie, who was brandishing a curling iron in one hand and a round styling brush in the other. Aldo and Killer were stationed nearby as if daring anyone to try to take her from them again. From the looks Millie was sending Aldo, I was pretty sure the two of them were going to be together for a long time.

A bunch of the kids greeted me with waves and cheers. I waited for them to launch into questions about Kelly’s arrest. Instead they asked about my audition. How did it go? When would I hear if I got the gig? What did I sing? I tried to sound upbeat as I gave my answers and promised to give them more details after the concert was over. Until then, they needed to focus.

After Mike assured himself that Millie was not suffering any ill effects from her adventure, he went to buy a ticket for the concert. When he was gone, I huddled with Larry and Devlyn to find out what they’d told the team about today’s events.

Nothing.

The kids had heard a rumor that someone had been arrested for LuAnn’s murder since that was the word buzzing around the theater, but the person’s identity and the circumstances behind her arrest had yet to be leaked. In the interest of keeping the kids focused, Larry and Devlyn had made the call to keep Millie’s kidnapping and my part in Kelly’s arrest under wraps. I doubted they’d be able to keep it quiet for very long, but I was hopeful the media silence would last until our turn on the stage was over.

Once all the kids were in their costumes and Millie’s hair and makeup emporium was finished working its magic, the team raced for the theater to watch the first round of the competition. I, however, turned in the opposite direction and headed for the Central Memphis High School staging room, where Nikki was giving her team a motivational speech. She praised the kids for the maturity with which they handled this week and the hard work they’d done. She then reminded them that they were first up in their division and that they should report back here after half of the teams in the first group had competed.

The kids were dismissed and headed out. Squeezing past two giggling girls, I walked into the almost-empty room and waited for Nikki to notice me. When she did, her eyes widened with panic.

“I stopped by to see how your team was dealing with the news that LuAnn’s murderer was caught.”

Nikki gave me a tense smile. “They’re doing as well as can be expected. I appreciate you asking. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get a seat before the competition starts.”

As Nikki hurried toward the door, I asked, “What did you do with LuAnn’s purse?”

She froze. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do,” I said, hoping my assumption was correct. The fear on her face spoke the truth louder than her words. I had hit a bull’s-eye. “LuAnn drove her car here on the night she was killed. It was one of the three cars parked at the front of the building when I arrived. When I left, the car was gone. You came to the theater with LuAnn that night and drove her car back to the hotel after she died. You also ended up with her purse.”

Nikki shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was at the hotel Wednesday night.”

“You were also at the theater. I’m betting if the police search your hotel room, they’ll find the purse that will prove it.” I pulled out my cell phone, pulled up the Nashville Police Department’s number, and waited to see whether Nikki was confident enough to call my bluff.

“Wait,” Nikki said as I started to dial. “LuAnn’s daughter left her keys behind after dinner. Before I gave them back, I decided to check and see if she had a key to her mother’s car. I hoped to find something in the car that would help me keep LuAnn from getting the assistant coaching job. It was just bad luck that LuAnn came out of the hotel as I was in the backseat. There was a blanket on the floor, so I pulled it over my head and waited. I hoped she was coming to get something out of the glove box. Instead, she started the car. I had no idea she was going to the theater or that the building was even open. After ten minutes, I got tired of waiting and went inside to look for her. I heard voices outside the loading dock door and then a scream. By the time I was able to cross around right to the loading dock door, the car was peeling out of the parking lot and LuAnn was dead.”

Technically, LuAnn had still been alive at that moment, but there was no point in splitting hairs.

“I panicked and ran back to LuAnn’s car. It wasn’t until I was at the hotel that I realized her purse was in the front seat.”

“You looked through it?”

She nodded. “I was going to turn it over to the police. Then I realized what learning about that side of her mother would do to LuAnn’s daughter. She’d already lost so much. I didn’t want her to suffer more.”

Neither did I.

“The lead detective on the case seems like a good guy. If you explain the situation, I’m sure he’ll do his best to keep the information under wraps.” Nikki looked even more panicked. I was counting on her fear of my spilling the beans to make her do the right thing. If not, well, Mike could make a call to his new cop friends.

“Wait,” Nikki called as I headed for the door. “That’s it?”

“No.” I smiled. “Good luck tonight. I hope your team has a great show.” After what they’d been through, they deserved it.

Nikki gave me a tentative smile back. “Good luck to you, too.”

I watched from the back of the house as the first group of teams danced around the stage. When intermission started, I went to the staging room for one last powwow with my teens. The energy level was high. The kids were pumped. So was Larry, who could barely say two words without stuttering. But that was okay, because there wasn’t much that needed to be said. The team was ready.

Standing in front of them for what would be the last time at a competition, I looked from face to face. Megan. Chessie. Eric. Claire. Girls who had complained when I scheduled extra rehearsals. Guys who’d thought learning ballet technique was uncool. This year had changed them. It had changed me even more.