A Mold For Murder (9 page)

“Our town isn’t that big. Are you trying to tell me that you had a hard time figuring out who he was?”

“It’s all about context, Ben. He was out of uniform, and in a town I didn’t associate him with. That’s not the point.”

“I’ve been wondering if there was one,” I said.

She laughed. “I’ve missed your sense of humor, too.”

What could I say to that?
Thanks
didn’t seem like an appropriate response, so I just waited as patiently as I could.

Finally, Kelly explained, “I didn’t give Ross another thought until today. That’s when I heard a name again that Gustav had told me.”

“The name of the would-be bride,” I said.

“Yes.”

“It was Connie Brown,” I said, suddenly knowing it in my heart.

Kelly nodded her approval. “I told you that you were good at this.”

“He was at the shop today with all of the other cops Molly called in,” I admitted. “Do you honestly believe he could have held a grudge that long and killed her when he got the opportunity?”

“Molly clearly doesn’t think of it as a possibility,” Kelly said. “But it bears looking into, don’t you think?”

“How in the world am I going to ask a cop questions about his alibi? It’s not an easy thing to do for somebody who’s not in law enforcement.”

“Use your imagination, Ben. You said yourself he was working today, so that puts him at the scene. Have they found the murder weapon yet?”

“The first guess made at the scene was that the murderer used a hammer, but they’re not sure yet.”

Kelly nodded. “If it was a hammer, that would make it an easily accessible weapon. So we’ve got motive, means, and opportunity.”

I nodded. “We’ve got those for Diana, too.”

Kelly said, “True, but we know Diana didn’t do it.”

“By the way, I never thanked you for taking on her case. I really do appreciate it.”

She frowned. “I seem to have a hard time saying no to you, don’t I? Is your mother pressuring you to solve this, too?”

I was about to answer when her phone rang. “Sorry, it’s the private line. I have to get it.”

“Go ahead.”

I had a lot to think about as Kelly answered her phone. I knew Molly had a soft spot in her heart for her fellow police officers, but I couldn’t imagine her turning a blind eye to murder; she was too good a cop to do that.

I was still thinking about the possibilities when I heard Kelly say angrily, “I’ll be there when you see me. For once you have to wait on
me
.” She started to slam the phone down, but I saw her check the motion and slowly cradle it.

I started to stand. “I’ll let you go,” I said. “I appreciate the information. I’m just not sure what I can do about it.”

“You don’t have to leave,” Kelly said.

I glanced at my watch. “Honestly, I do. We both have other places we need to be. Thanks for the tip.”

“You’re welcome,” she said.

As I walked out of her office, I realized all was not bliss at the Sheer household. Kelly had known she’d be in for some rocky times when she and her husband had decided to try again, and I felt bad for her, but I had problems of my own. It had been wonderful talking to her again, having a real conversation not filled with undertones of tension between us. It was easy to see why I’d been so intrigued by her. After all, she was smart, funny, and beautiful. Unfortunately, she had also been unavailable to me. I was happy with Diana, always glad to be in her presence, and I wouldn’t let anything spoil that if I could help it. The two women were so much alike in so many ways. I tended to gravitate toward strong, smart women, and Diana and Kelly were both that.

I glanced at my watch and saw that if I didn’t hurry, I was going to be late for my date.

I had to ring her bell twice before Diana came to the door. It was clear from the redness in her eyes that she’d been crying. Normally dressed to perfection, Diana wore baggy gray sweatpants and an old jersey with West Virginia University’s logo on it.

“Hi, Ben,” she said as she dabbed at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I should have called you. I can’t do this tonight.”

“If you want to be alone, I fully understand.”

She shook her head. “It’s not that. I just don’t have the heart to face the world. Look at me.”

“I think you look great,” I said, and I meant it.

“You’re sweet, but you’re also a really bad liar.”

I took her in my arms and kissed her. After thirty seconds, I pulled away and said, “Do you still think I’m lying?”

“You’re starting to convince me,” she said.

“Hey, was that a smile? Tell you what; I don’t feel like facing the world either. Why don’t I go pick up a pizza and we can watch an old movie together.”

“I don’t feel like changing,” she said.

“Then don’t do it on my account. I happen to like the way you look.”

She shook her head. “Then you’re delusional. I appreciate the offer, honestly I do, but I need to be by myself tonight.”

“Are you sure? I’d be happy to spend the evening with you. If it’s the pizza you don’t want, we could have some barbeque instead.”

She shoved me toward the door. “No, it’s not the menu or the companionship. I just want to take a long, hot soak in my tub and then go to sleep. Do you mind?”

I kissed her again, this time more briefly than before. “Whatever you want,” I said.

“Thanks for understanding.”

“Do I have much choice?” I asked, adding a smile.

“Not tonight. Call me tomorrow, okay?”

“First thing,” I said as I walked away. I suddenly had a free evening. So what was I going to do about it? Was it too late to talk to Brian Ross? Had Molly learned anything yet about the murder weapon? I decided I’d talk to her first, then see if I could feel her out about her coworker, and the chance he’d held a bad grudge all these years and had finally done something about it. Sharon still had some of my attention as a suspect, no matter how convincing she was at playing the part of mourning employee. There was also the matter of Betsy Blair. Could she have killed Connie in a fit of rage, honestly believing that her manuscript had been stolen? Finally, there was the latest fiancé, the mysterious Barry Hill. It would help if I knew if he was in town, but I didn’t have the resources to check. Then I realized that it would just take a few telephone calls to find out. There weren’t that many places to stay in Harper’s Landing, and if Hill was anything like his onetime fiancé, I had a feeling he’d go only with the best we had to offer.

There was a lot to talk to Molly about, but I wasn’t sure she’d want to hear any of it from me.

Still, I owed her the chance to respond, and maybe I’d even manage to help her in her investigation. Though she hated to admit it, in the past I’d given Molly a piece or two of the puzzles she’d been working on, so maybe she’d be more receptive than I expected.

But I doubted it.

 

 

I
found Molly at her desk in police headquarters, searching through a stack of papers that buried the top of it. She was dressed in her police uniform, and her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, though a few strands of her hair had managed to escape.

“You’re working too hard,” I said.

When she looked up, Molly seemed surprised to see me. “What are you doing here? And how did you get back to the bullpen?”

“Nobody was at the front desk, so I just walked on back,” I admitted.

“That desk is supposed to be manned twenty-four hours a day,” Molly snapped.

“Sorry I bothered you,” I said as I started to retreat. “I’ll go back out front and wait.” Molly was clearly in no mood for my input, so the best thing I could do was beat a hasty retreat and try her again when she was feeling more receptive.

“You’re not actually going to walk back to the front desk and wait for me to come get you, are you?”

“Molly, I can see that you’re busy. We can talk another time.”

She shoved her chair away from the desk. “Ben, I’m always busy. We don’t have the budget to hire as many cops as we need, so that means we all have to pitch in to clear things up.”

“Hey, I get it.”

Again I tried to leave, but she wouldn’t let me. “Okay, stop being so understanding. You’re making me nervous.”

I shrugged. “What can I say? It’s the new me. See you later.”

I was at the Miata outside when I heard her calling my name. “Ben, hang on a second.”

I waited for her, then as she approached, I said, “If I knew playing hard-to-get worked on you, I would have used it a long time ago.”

She grinned. “To be honest with you, I’d grab just about any excuse to get away from that avalanche of paperwork in there. It’s getting so bad, we have to document it every time we go to the john. Now seriously, what’s up?”

“I was hoping to buy you a cup of coffee and talk to you about the murder today,” I said.

I was expecting a blast from her, and no doubt I deserved it for meddling in police business, but to my surprise, she said, “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“My thoughts?”

“No, the coffee. And dinner, while you’re at it. I’m hungry. Come on, take me for a spin in this thing. You know how much I love riding in your convertible.”

“The salesman was right,” I said as I held the door open for her. “This thing’s a chick magnet.”

“Only if they have steel plates in their heads,” Molly said.

As I got in, I asked, “So, where do you want to go?”

“How about The Hound Dog?” she suggested. “I could go for some pie, too, as long as you’re buying.”

“On one condition,” I said. “You have to at least appear to be interested in what I have to say. I don’t care if you listen or not, just nod between bites, okay?”

“I could probably manage that,” she admitted. “I feigned interest in your conversations every time we went out.”

“You can’t fool me,” I said as I pulled out. “You were always riveted to whatever I had to say.”

“See? It worked.”

“Tell you what,” I said as I drove. “Why don’t I start telling you what I’ve found out so far while we drive? That way it won’t spoil your meal.”

“You’re not about to do that,” she said.

“What, start talking now?”

“No, spoil my dinner break. Ruby’s offerings deserve the utmost of my attention.”

I laughed. “You never change, do you?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” she said. “I think I’ve grown quite a bit lately. Your brother is good for me.”

“Tell me the truth,” I said, forgetting for a minute why I’d come by. We were talking as old friends now, and the murder wasn’t a part of the conversation. “Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, suspect you’d date my little brother?”

“No, we’ve talked about that. I’ve got a feeling he was interested in me long before I returned the favor.”

“Are you kidding me? He’s had a crush on you since he saw me take you to the senior prom. You did look pretty spectacular that night.”

“Yeah, well, you clean up pretty good yourself. I’d ask you about your love life, but I only have forty-five minutes for my break.”

“You’re right, that’s nowhere near enough time.”

I pulled into a parking spot in front of the café, and Molly waited patiently for me to get her door. It wasn’t a matter of strength or subjugation; it was simply a courtesy. Good manners were still strong in our part of the South.

There were a few people in the diner, but lunch was Ruby’s busiest time of day, and breakfast was second, leaving the evening meal a distant third.

As we walked in, I asked her, “Ruby, why do you stay open for dinner? It can’t be worth your while.”

“That depends on how you look at it,” she said with a smile. “What else am I going to do, watch television? No thanks, this is where I belong.”

Molly poked me in the ribs. “And we’re glad you’re here.”

We found a booth away from everyone else, and Molly studied the menu. I knew what I wanted.

When Ruby showed up with two iced teas, unasked for but deeply appreciated, she said, “You two want your usual meals?”

Molly nodded. “Yeah, but make it a double cheeseburger instead of a single, bring me an order of fries with my onion rings, and I’ll have a slice of pie later.”

“So you’re buying,” she said as she looked at me. “Does that mean you’ll be having a salad?”

“You can bring one if you want, but I’m just going to sneer at it. I’ll have country-style steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cooked apples. Put a biscuit on top and I’ll be a happy man.”

“Watch out for the big spender, everybody,” Ruby said, smiling. She loved it when her customers ordered a lot of food, and not just for the cash register. Ruby loved feeding people, and she said she always figured the more they ate, the happier it made her. “You want pie with that, too?”

“Make it strawberry cobbler,” I said, “and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

She laughed as she made her way back to the kitchen. “Get ready, Garnet, we’ve got a couple of big eaters here.”

“I’m ready,” her cook said.

As we waited for our food, Molly took a sip of tea, then said, “Ben, I’m working on an active police investigation, so I can’t exactly share any information with you. In fact, I really shouldn’t listen to anything you might have to say concerning the homicide today.”

I started to protest when she held up a hand. “However, if you decide to talk anyway, I can insist right now that I’m not listening, so as far as official police business goes, you’re wasting your breath.”

“That’s fine with me. Here’s who I suspect so far.” I went through my list, saving her fellow cop for last. I strongly suspected that would be the one point she wouldn’t let me slide on, and I was right. We were nearly finished with our meals when his name finally came into the conversation.

“And then there’s Brian Ross,” I casually dropped into our conversation.