Football is Murder (Bee's Bakehouse Cozy Mysteries Book 4) (Bee's Bakehouse Mysteries) (5 page)

“So they were close?” Chief Daly said.

Pamela sighed and shook her head. “Not anymore.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “You know what I mean. They… they had a falling out some months back. As far as I know they haven’t spoken since.”

“Do you know what they fought about?” the chief asked. Jessie knew he was keeping his voice casual and disinterested on purpose.

“Actually, I do,” Pamela said, softly. “Nobody ever said it outright, but I know Chad didn’t approve of me. Back when we got married, Chad tried to talk Johnny out of it. I guess the rift never fully healed and it all came out months ago when they had that huge fight.”

Chapter 6

“What do you think of that?” the chief asked gravely as they pulled out of the driveway.

Jessie shook her head. The truth was she didn’t know what to think. It had been so much easier when they were investigating crimes in Springdale where she knew—or at least knew of—the victims and suspects.

“I don’t know,” she said at last.

He chuckled. “You must have an opinion.”

Jessie thought about it for a couple more minutes. “I thought it was weird that she wanted to chat with me about art when her husband has just been murdered.”

Chief Daly nodded without saying anything.

“Did you think the same?”

He shrugged.

“And Chief, don’t you think it’s weird that Chad and Johnny fought just months before his death?”

He nodded. “I have to admit, we didn’t know about the Chad and Johnny connection aside from being aware they were teammates.”

“Does this change things?”

He clicked his tongue. “I like to have all of the information before I make up my mind on that.”

“What kind of evidence have they found?” Jessie asked.

“Nothing. Like I said, a body in a pool. No murder weapon. No witnesses. The lab is working on fingerprints and hair samples, but I’m not hopeful. Not when the body was found in such a public place.”

“So what now?” Jessie asked, spreading her hands on the dash and staring at her nails. She didn’t know why she’d been expecting it, but she had thought they might leave the Cooper house with more leads.

“We get you back to the café before your aunt decides to murder me. I’ve got a couple things to do back at Springdale PD. I’ll come by after you’ve closed up for the evening and we’ll go speak to the siblings.”

They were silent for the rest of the journey. Finally, when they pulled up outside the café, the chief turned to her and smiled.

“Don’t be frustrated. I’ll let you in on a little secret. A huge part of police work is waiting around.”

Jessie felt a little better as she climbed out of the cruiser.

* * *

Whatever frustrations she had felt in the car evaporated as soon as she pushed open the door of the café.

“Melanie,” she shrieked at the woman who was sitting on a stool at the counter.

Her cousin grinned as she rushed over and flung her arms around Jessie.

“Jessie! I haven’t seen you for the longest time!”

They hugged for a long time, paying no attention to the amused looks they were getting from the café patrons. Jessie didn’t care. She was delighted to see her best friend in the world.

She pulled back and held Melanie at arm’s length. They spoke on the phone almost every day, but she couldn’t remember the last time they’d been together in person. Jessie’s job had kept her busy and the same was true for Melanie. As a management consultant, she rarely got to spend time in her own home, let alone visit with friends and family in other states.

Looking more closely, Jessie saw the new lines on her cousin’s forehead—there definitely hadn’t been that many before. Melanie was thinner than she remembered too. She tried to swallow her worry, though. It was just so good to see her.

“How long are you here for?” Jessie asked, still giddy with surprise and happiness.

Melanie shrugged. She said nothing, but Jessie got the feeling that there was a lot she needed to get off her chest.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s just good to have you here. Have you seen Aunt Bee?”

Melanie grinned. “Yeah. I called and told her I was on my way. After the stunt you pulled when you got here, I didn’t want to give the woman two huge surprises in one year.”

“Yeah, well.” Jessie’s smile faltered. “You should have seen the look on her face when I told her I’d lost my job and broken up with Roger. Her surprise at my arrival had nothing on that.”

A shadow crossed Melanie’s face and Jessie was puzzled.

“Don’t worry,” Jessie said, hugging her again. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me, now I look back on it. You don’t need to feel bad for me.”

Melanie shook her head. “I don’t. I just…”

Jessie stared at her, waiting for her to finishing. But she didn’t, she simply trailed off.

That’s not like Melanie
, Jessie thought. Her cousin was one of the most eloquent people she had ever met. And that included all of the blustery insurance executives Jessie had had the misfortune to meet in her previous career.

It’s probably the journey, she realized. All she wants to do is rest and relax. There’ll be plenty of time to catch up later.

“Come on,” Jessie said, linking her arm through Melanie’s. “We’ll get your things and go back to my house. I’ve got a guest bedroom.”

As if on cue, Aunt Bee came barreling out of the kitchen. Jessie had no earthly clue how she had known what Jessie was planning, but she seemed to have anticipated it.

“She’s staying at my house,” Bee said, standing in their way.

Jessie shook her head. “Mel, I have no idea how she does it.” She turned to Aunt Bee. “Were you listening at the door?”

Bee set her jaw. “No. I just know how you two operate. I don’t want you two together. Causing trouble.”

Jessie laughed. “Seriously? Have you just traveled here from the past? We’re not teenagers anymore, Aunt Bee. The most exciting thing we’re probably going to do is go for a walk.”

Bee eyed them suspiciously before muttering and heading back to the kitchen.

Jessie looked at Melanie and shook her head. “I have no idea what she’s thinking. I just spent the last several months living with her. These days, my idea of an exciting night is a good book and a mug of cocoa. With whole milk. Maybe she thinks you’re going to be a bad influence on me.”

Melanie sighed. “I wish. I’ve been working so hard lately that a night in with a book sounds like heaven to me. I can’t remember the last time I stayed out past ten. Even in a restaurant.”

“Come on,” Jessie said. “Let’s go. We’ll go back to my place and you can take a nap if you like. If you want down time with books and herbal teas, then you’re in luck.”

* * *

Jessie walked back to the town, pulling her collar up against the unseasonable wind that had been blasting Springdale for the past couple of days.

There was something off with Melanie. She just knew it. But she hadn’t wanted to interrogate her cousin when she had just arrived in Springdale. There would be plenty of time to chat when Mel was rested.

As soon as Jessie turned the corner onto Main Street, she saw the police cruiser idling outside the café. She hurried on, not wanting to keep the chief waiting. That wasn’t the only reason—she was excited to go along on another official police interview.

“Sorry, Chief,” she said panting.

He shook his head, smiling widely. “Don’t be. Beatrice said your cousin has arrived.”

Jessie nodded. “Yeah. Melanie’s here. I can’t believe it.”

“The way your aunt tells it, I’m going to have my hands full arresting the two of you on a near-daily basis.”

“Did she really?” Jessie climbed in and closed the door behind her. “I really don’t get it. When we’re on our own, she seems to realize that we’re responsible adults. But together? We’re suddenly sixteen again.”

Chief Daly pulled away from the sidewalk. “I don’t disagree. She’s anxious as anything. I did try to tell her that you’re not only adults, but responsible ones.”

“Did she listen?”

He pulled a face. “What do you think?”

Jessie considered this for a while. “I think if she’s so insistent that we can’t be trusted, we’re going to need to play up to that and cause some trouble.”

He shook his head and laughed. “Now, I can’t wait to see that.”

* * *

They drove through Rockfield and the town soon gave way to miles of farms.

“I’ve never been out this way,” Jessie said, looking around.

“I’m not surprised. It’s pretty much the road to nowhere.”

“Why are we coming out here then?”

He tapped his fingers on the wheel. “The Ravens training ground.”

“Really? I thought we were going to go speak to Cooper’s siblings first.”

“We were. But they’ve been delayed in San Diego airport. So in the meantime, I thought we’d follow a few leads out here.”

Jessie shrugged and glanced around. “I knew the team moved out here—I remember Roger complaining about them changing the name. All the same, it seems like such a strange place for a pro-football team.”

“I hear that’s all down to Donovan Masters. Tech billionaire. He bought the team and relocated their headquarters out here.”

She shook her head. “I’m no football fan, but it seems a bit crazy. Haven’t they lost a lot of fans?”

“Oh, they don’t play their home games out here. Their training ground is here but their home games are still played back in the city. Not that the players are happy about the training ground move either.”

“Didn’t they get to decide? They’re the ones who win the games after all,” Jessie said, as they turned onto a narrower road. Jessie was immediately struck by how much quieter it was. Its surface was smoother and better finished than the public road that led to it.

The chief laughed. “You weren’t lying when you said you knew nothing about sports. It’s big business, Jessie. He who holds the purse is king. The players may have kicked up a racket, but at the end of the day, the decision lay with the guy who signs their paychecks.”

“Is that who we’re going to see?” she asked, staring out the window.

The facility was still some distance away. It was a huge three-story structure that seemed to gleam in the afternoon light.

“Donovan Masters?” Chief Daly said. “No. No, he’s based on the west coast.”

“I thought you said…”

“I said he moved the team here. He didn’t relocate himself. Something about fewer distractions out here for the players. Apparently, he stops by every now and then to check in in person.”

“Wow,” Jessie said. “So he just ordered all these people to leave the city and move out here. And they did.”

“You’re surprised? It’s amazing what money can do. I’m willing to bet nobody needed his arm twisted.”

All the same, Jessie couldn’t help but wonder if that had something to do with the murder. Was Johnny Cooper somehow involved in all of this? She shook her head. She might have understood if it was the owner himself who’d been murdered, but not one of the players. Surely he was as opposed to the move as the rest?

That brought her back to thinking about her new neighbor. Had he been forced to move close to Rockfield by his team? Was that why he was so unfriendly? It made sense—Jessie loved the town, but she was realistic enough to know that a lot of people wouldn’t want to live in a small town where everybody knew everybody else’s business. Just like she wouldn’t like to move to a huge city where she didn’t know a soul.

“Come on, Jessie,” Chief Daly said, leaning back into the car.

Jessie hadn’t noticed him climb out she’d been so wrapped up in her thoughts. She scrambled to unfasten her seatbelt.

“I hear Coach Williams doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

* * *

“I don’t have long,” the man opposite them said.

Jessie had never seen anybody so fierce and determined looking. She may not have known much about sports, but she had seen a lot of movies that were loosely based on real sports teams. And it was as if all those stereotypes of a coach had been poured into a mold and this guy had been cast from it.

He was tall and broad with tight-cut gray hair and a black mustache. His blue eyes were cold and unwavering. You could see from looking at his face that he tolerated no nonsense. She saw now how the Ravens had been able to relocate the team across the state. Who was going to go head-to-head with this guy if that’s what he told them to do?

“We’re here to speak to you about Johnny Cooper,” Chief Daly said soberly.

The coach nodded. “Of course.” He shifted his huge bulk in his chair. “I’ve gotta say, I’m surprised. I told those other cops everything I know. Which isn’t very much.”

The chief smiled. Jessie could see the hint of irritation in his face, but only because she had come to know him so well.

“I’m sure you’ll appreciate that this is a high-profile case. Rockfield PD brought us in to assist. We’ve got a lot of people working to get to the bottom of this.”

The coach smiled tightly. “Of course. I imagine there’s a lot of media pressure on your department.”

Chief Daly pursed his lips. “Naturally, in such a high-profile case. But that’s not what brings us here.”

The coach shrugged as if he didn’t believe Chief Daly’s answer.

“Let’s begin, shall we?” Chief Daly said, after staring at the other man for a long time. Jessie watched them, riveted by the wordless power play going on between them.

“Of course,” the coach nodded, glancing at his huge steel watch. “I’ve got another appointment in ten minutes. But I’d be happy to answer your questions.”

Is it just me, or is he stalling for time?
Jessie wondered, wishing she knew what the chief was thinking.

Chief Daly sat back in his seat. “Where were you on the night of Johnny Cooper’s murder?”

Coach Williams tapped his chin. “At home.”

“For the whole night?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Did anybody see you there?”

“Yes,” he said. “My wife. And probably my daughter. I can’t remember if she was there that particular night.”

“But you remember your wife was.”

He shrugged. “She doesn’t like to go anywhere without me.”