A Pour Way to Dye (Book 2 in the Soapmaking Mysteries) (18 page)

I walked out, got in the Miata, and drove
around the block before finding a good parking place where I could
keep an eye on the jewelry shop without being seen. The Joys were
clearly hiding something, and I was determined to find out exactly
what they were up to. I planned to follow whoever left the shop
first to see if I could find a lead, but my Miata was a little too
conspicuous on the streets of Harper’s Landing. I drove back to the
soap shop and approached my mother.

“
I need to talk to
you.”

There was a look of concern in her eyes as
she asked. “Ben, what is it?”

“
First, I need to know if
anyone has heard from Paulus lately.”

“
Why? What’s wrong, Ben?”
Though I knew the two of them had their share of problems. I also
knew the love they’d felt for my father was a strong bond between
them.

“
Maybe nothing, but I’m a
little worried about him. We were supposed to meet earlier and he
never showed up.”

Mom waved a hand in the air. “Your
grandfather is not the most reliable man in the world.” she said.
“He probably got distracted. You know how he is.”

“
Maybe.” I said, though I
didn’t believe it for a second.

“
So what’s second? You said
first, now I’m waiting to hear what comes next.”

“
I need to trade vehicles
with you. What do you say? You can drive the Miata, and I’ll take
your minivan.”

She shook her head. “No thank you. I like to
drive a grown-up’s vehicle. It’s high time you started driving one
yourself.”

“
Mom. I’m not asking you to
go for a joy ride. I’m digging into Earnest Joy’s murder, and my
car stands out just a little too much. This is for the family.”
They were magic words with my mother. To her, family was
everything.

“
Take it.” she said, digging
into her apron pocket and producing her car keys.

“
Thanks.” I said as I tried
to hand her the keys to my Miata. “Keep them. Benjamin, you might
need them later.”

“
I don’t want to leave you
stranded,” I said.

Mom laughed. “With all these children here
dying to give their mother a ride? Don’t be silly.”

I kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks. I don’t
know when I’ll have it back to you.”

“
I’ll expect to get it back
when I see you handing me the keys. Benjamin, be
careful.”

“
Always,” I said as I
hurried for the door. I needed to get back and start my
surveillance of the jewelry shop. At least in my Mom’s gray
minivan, I’d have a chance to blend into the surroundings. The
vehicle was roomy, and the seat more comfortable than my Miata’s,
but it was going to be a bear to park, and I didn’t look forward to
topping off my mother’s gas tank when I was finished with
it.

I got back to the Joys just in time to see an
intense-looking man getting into a white-paneled van, a black case
grasped firmly in his left hand. I don’t know what caused my
instant suspicion of him. Maybe it was the way he scanned the
streets before he got into his vehicle, as if he were searching for
someone like me watching him. Even with my mother’s tinted windows,
I still ducked down in my seat when his gaze swept past me. As he
drove off, I saw the lettering on the side of his van. In scripted
letters, it said, Davis Fine Jewelry. He was probably just a
regular supplier of theirs. So why had he acted so oddly?

I was still wondering about it when I saw
Terri come out of the shop. Though my money was on Andrew as the
chief suspect, I knew that Terri no doubt stood to inherit as well,
giving her motive enough to kill her father and try to frame
someone in the Perkins clan.

It was time to see what Terri Joy was up
to.

I followed her to the outskirts of town,
wondering what could possibly bring her there. When she pulled into
the parking lot of the Mountain Lake Motel, I tucked the mini-van
into a spot ten slots from her car. The rooms all had outside
doors, and if Terri was going into a room close enough to where she
was parked, I might just be able to see who she was visiting.

Without any hesitation, she knocked on one of
the doors, waited a minute, then tried again. Her hostess was
dressed in a robe with a white towel wrapped around her head, but I
could still easily recognize her. It was Linda Mae. If Terri
disliked her stepmother as much as she’d claimed, what was she
doing visiting her? They both disappeared inside the room, and I
debated whether to head back to trail Andrew when he left or wait
it out. After ten minutes, I was growing impatient, and I started
the minivan. As I did, Linda Mae’s door opened and Terri came out.
Her face was flushed, and she looked upset about something.

As she drove back to town, I tailed her, but
she’d looked so upset that I could have been driving a fire truck
and I don’t think she would have noticed. I half expected her to
head back to the jewelry store; but instead, she went directly to a
small apartment complex and pulled into a spot near the pool. After
she disappeared inside one of the units, I had to get a closer look
to see who she was visiting this time. I casually got out of the
minivan and walked past her door. Her name was printed near the
buzzer. So Terri had gone straight home after going to see her
stepmother.

I had just finished reading her name when I
heard a woman’s voice behind me. How in the world was I going to
explain my presence there?

“
Can I help you?” she asked.
For a second I was sure it was Terri, but when I turned around, I
found a lean blonde in a tailored business suit standing
there.

“
I’m at the wrong
apartment,” I said, backing away from Terri’s door.

I was four steps away when she said, “Tell me
who you’re looking for. I know everyone at Sunny Side.”

The problem was that I didn’t know anybody
there. Inspiration suddenly struck. “This is Sunny Side?” I said.
“I’m looking for Henderson Place.”

She frowned at me. “That’s on the other side
of town. How in the world did you end up here?”

“
Bad directions, I guess.
Thanks for your help.”

“
But I didn’t do anything,”
she said as I hurried to Mom’s minivan.

I drove off as fast as I could, but when I
checked my rearview mirror, the woman was still staring after
me.

As I raced back to the jewelry shop, I hoped
Andrew was still there. I would have loved to know what Terri and
Linda Mae had talked about, especially what had gotten Terri so
upset when she drove off. If she disliked her stepmother that much,
why had she driven straight to her motel room after talking to me?
For that matter, how had she even known where she was? I needed to
dig into that more. It could be tied to Earnest Joy’s murder.

Andrew’s car, a Mustang
from the seventies in dire need of a paint job, was still parked in
front of the jewelry store when I got back. The minivan was a great
deal more comfortable than my Miata, especially for extended
surveillance. I moved to the middle row of seats so I could stretch
my legs out and was just settling in for a long wait when Andrew
came out. Without even bothering to flip their
open
sign to
closed
, he locked the store up and
got into his car. I scrambled forward and was barely buckled in by
the time he ripped past me. Maybe I’d been rash swapping vehicles
with my Mother. Andrew wouldn’t stand a chance losing me if I’d
been in my car, but I wasn’t sure if the minivan could keep up with
him. As I hurried through the streets of Harper’s Landing, I hoped
Molly wasn’t out on patrol. I didn’t want to have to explain why I
was tailing Andrew Joy around town, especially while driving my
mother’s car. She’d probably lock me up on general
principle.

In five minutes, Andrew pulled up in the
driveway of his father’s house. I thought about how I could get a
better look inside when he surprised me and bypassed his dad’s
door, instead cutting across the lawn to Ralph’s house. There was
no place I could park on the street without being noticed, so I
drove down the block as slowly as I could, trying not to wreck as I
watched Andrew as he approached the front door. I saw Ralph open it
before Andrew even had time to knock. It was almost as if he’d been
waiting for his guest to show up. Ralph and Andrew both stepped
quickly inside, and I nearly hit a Hummer parked in the street. The
thing was as big as a school bus, and I hadn’t been watching very
closely. I circled the block a couple of times, then headed back to
the soap shop. As far as I knew, I was finished tailing people for
the day, and I wanted my Miata back.

I walked back in and Cindy shoved a note in
my hand. “Special delivery,” she said.

“
What’s this?” I
asked.

“
Open it and find
out.”

I tucked it in my shirt pocket. “I’ll read it
later. So how did class go? Did Kate help you?”

Cindy beamed. “She didn’t have to. I did it
all myself. You know what? I’m going to sign up for the next class
myself.”

I loved the smile on my youngest sister’s
face. “Cindy, I don’t think you need to take a class. You’re
already pretty good at soapmaking. If you need a refresher, I’d be
happy to help you out myself.”

“
Benjamin Perkins, I’m
talking about signing up to teach, and you know it.” She paused,
then added, “You know what? You were right. I had fun.”

“
I’m sorry,” I said, cupping
a hand behind my ear. “What did you say? I missed it.”

“
I said I had
fun.”

I shook my head. “No, that wasn’t it. You
said something about me.”

She laughed. “Okay, you win. You were right,
and I was wrong. Happy now?”

“
It’s a good start,” I said
as Kate and Louisa joined us. Kate said, “What are you two
chattering about?”

“
Cindy’s got the teaching
bug,” I said.

Kate nodded. “She should. She’s better at it
than you are.”

“
Hey, that’s not fair,”
Louisa said, apparently in my defense.

Kate looked at her and said, “I didn’t say
she was better than you. Just Ben. You know how clumsy our oldest
brother can be.”

Louisa pretended to consider it. “He does
tend to bang around into things, doesn’t he?”

I shook my head. “You three should at least
have the decency to do this when I’m not around. By the way, has
anyone heard from Paulus?”

That effectively killed their jovial moods.
When they all admitted that they hadn’t, I said, “I’ll be in my
office if anybody needs me. I’ve got some phone calls to make.”

Jeff was absent in back as Bob and Jim
struggled with a heavy batch of soap they were preparing to pour.
“Do you two need a hand?”

“
We’ve got it,” Bob said,
though they were clearly struggling with the weight of the
container.

Ignoring him, I grabbed an edge and helped
them move it to the finishing line.

Jim wiped his forehead when we had it in
place. “Thanks. That was a little heavier than I thought it would
be.”

“
Where’s Jeff?” I asked,
looking around the production area.

Bob wouldn’t answer, so Jim finally said.
“He’s not back from lunch yet.”

I looked at my watch and saw that nearly
three hours had passed since he’d left. “You’re kidding, right?
Since when did we start taking extended lunch hours’?”

“
Don’t say anything to him.”
Bob said.

Jim added, “Yeah, we’ve already planned our
lecture. He’s going to wish he’d scrubbed with lye soap by the tune
we’re through with him.”

“
Take it easy on him. guys.
He’s in love.”

Neither one of them knew how to take that,
especially coming from me.

Bob asked, “You have any luck finding
Grandpa?”

“
Not yet,” I said. “Have you
been talking to our sisters?”

Jim smiled. “Try to avoid them. They’ve been
pestering us to go out and help you look, like we don’t have three
orders we’re behind on already.” He put the rag down he’d been
wiping his hands with and added, “We will, you know. Help you look
for him. Just say the word.”

Bob nodded. “Family comes first.”

“
Thanks, but I’m still not
completely convinced he didn’t just bug out on me.”

Jim said, “We’re just saying. Let us know if
you change your mind.”

“
You two will be the first
ones I ask.” I headed upstairs to my office, wanting to be alone
with my thoughts for a little while.

I wasn’t sure how long I sat there trying to
figure out what my grandfather had stumbled into, and where he was
right now. It was exactly like Paulus to take off without telling
anyone, and if he hadn’t called me and insisted on meeting me at
The Hound Dog, I would have just passed it off as one of his
flights of fancy. As it stood, though, I knew something had
happened to keep him from meeting me. The real question in my mind
was whether his recent paranoia was justified. I knew better than
anyone how investigating a murder could make you constantly look
over your shoulder for the bad guys. Had the same thing happened to
Paulus, or had he actually stumbled onto a clue? If he’d tipped his
hand to the murderer, I knew he could be in serious trouble. I
picked up the phone, started to call Molly, then thought better of
it. I had to have more proof than a skipped lunch if I was going to
convince her that something might have happened to him. I made a
few calls instead, but no one had seen Paulus all day.

It was time for drastic action. I knew how my
grandfather felt about his privacy, and none of us were invited to
his home except for special occasions. But it was time to snoop
around his place to see if I could find anything that might tell me
what he’d been up to, and what had thrown him into such a
panic.