If the Shoe Kills (8 page)

Or someone could have used the apartment's vantage point to watch Main Street. I glanced across the street. The only two open buildings directly across from our side of the street were The Glass Slipper and the liquor/cigar store. A vintage clothing store had bought out the building directly in front of Josh's store, but they weren't scheduled to open until after the first of the year.

Josh noticed my musing. “What?”

I shook my head and smiled. “Nothing, just trying to figure out who would have snuck into your place.”

“I know exactly who it was.” Josh pounded his finger on the table. “Brenda Morgan.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “Why would Brenda break into your home?”

Josh lifted his chin and sighed. “The woman has been after me since Craig died. She's always in my shop, looking at items for The Castle, asking my opinion about purchases. She's trying to woo me.”

I barely suppressed my giggle when I realized Josh was dead serious. “Then why would she go to your apartment?”

Josh considered me like I had a third head. “Obviously, she was looking for some late-night entertainment from me.” He frowned. “Or she knew I was supposed to be with Jackie that night and was trying to make her jealous. That's probably it. She's probably trying to see if there's a way to combine the two apartments into one when she gets her hooks into me.”

I didn't even know how to respond. “Are you sure Brenda's not just trying to learn the antique business from you? You were Craig's expert, maybe she trusts your opinion?”

Josh stood and pulled his wallet out of his pants pocket. He set down two one-dollar bills that were so crisp, I wondered if they'd just come off the press. “I know when a woman is interested, Miss Gardner. Thank you for the coffee and keep the change.”

All twenty-two cents. What a big spender. Then I felt bad for being uncharitable. There had to be a better side of Josh that my aunt had uncovered. Although I wasn't sure what it could be. I watched him walk out of the store and then back toward his own business. Brenda stalking Josh? She'd get a laugh out of that.

The door chimed and more customers arrived. I stayed busy up until Toby walked in. As I turned the shop over to him, I thought about the lady from the bed-and-breakfast. I had planned on watching for her driver and asking him how her day of reading at the beach had gone, but for the life of me, I couldn't think of what customer he could have been. Maybe they stayed at the B&B for breakfast today or maybe they just slept in. Sundays were supposed to be a day of rest.

Toby waved me off when I offered to stay longer. “Get out of here. I can handle the shift. If a tour bus shows up, I'll call Jackie down early.”

I held up the envelope Josh had left. “When you see her, give her this. Josh is trying to woo her back.”

He laughed. “I think Jackie's too smart to be won over by a card. She doesn't seem to be a hearts-and-flowers type of girl.”

“True. Josh, on the other hand, thinks that Brenda's in love with him and is trying to break the happy couple up.”

Toby didn't hesitate to laugh. When he stopped and wiped his eyes, he cocked his head. “You're serious? Brenda? Does he think she's an idiot? Or a glutton for punishment? Craig's been gone less than six months, and he thinks Brenda's looking for a replacement?”

“That's the story I got this morning from the man.” I pulled my purse over my shoulder. “I'd better warn Brenda that Josh is wise to her tricks.”

“Keep your phone handy when you tell her, she might keel over with a stroke or something. No one expects that kind of shock to their system.” Toby nodded to the customer walking in the door. “See you Tuesday?”

“Have a great day off.” I tucked my unfinished book into my purse and headed home, grabbing a copy of the Sunday paper on my way out. Time to spend some quality one-on-one with the main man. I might even bake a pumpkin pie later to thank him for seeing me to bed last night.

Greg's call off began as I was walking home. “Sorry, kiddo, I'm stuck working today. I guess the district attorney wants to go over what we've got on Ted's demise.”

“Which is what?” I aimed for casual indifference.

A chuckle came over the line. “Good try. Why don't you call Amy and see if you can do a girl's day?”

“What, you think I can't deal with a Sunday without you? I'll have you know, I already have serious plans.”

“You found a new book?”

“Exactly.” I paused in front of Diamond Lille's. “Right after I stop and grab some lunch.”

A voice sounded from a distance. “Hey, I've got to go, meeting's starting.”

I clicked off the phone and slipped it into my purse. So much for quality couple time, I grumbled, but I'd known what I'd been getting into by dating the local police detective. I slipped into a booth and waved down a waitress.

Today definitely deserved a milk shake and something fried. Choices I'd regret later. I'd ordered and had pulled out my book to read when I heard a voice coming from the next booth.

“I don't care what it might look like. The man owes me. It's my right.” The woman was insistent. As she stood and threw some money on the table, I realized she was talking on her cell.

She turned away from the booth, and our eyes met. It was Marie Jones.

M
arie blanched when she saw me. She nodded a greeting, but I could see in her eyes, she wondered how much of the conversation I'd overheard. The woman nearly knocked the waitress over in her haste to leave. Carrie, holding my vanilla shake, came over to my table.

“Almost wore this. Did you see Marie take out of here like the devil was chasing her?”

I nodded, then with a napkin wiped up the spilt shake that was running down the frosted glass and onto the table. “She seemed upset. You know what about?”

Carrie shook her head, grabbing the napkins off the table where I crumpled them. “No clue, she's been on that phone since she walked into the place. She came in calm and when she left, she'd ratcheted all the way up to ballistic. I've never seen her that way before.”

“Me neither.”

The cook yelled across the café. “Carrie, your food's dying here, quit yapping and get this to the customers.”

Carrie shrugged. “Gotta go. Ed's in a mood. Seems like it's going around.”

I sipped on the icy shake, wondering if what I heard would prove Marie was the missing wife. She could have been talking about revealing herself for a part of Ted's inheritance. Had she been declared dead officially, or was she simply missing in the eyes of the law? Something like that would be hard to come back from. And what had happened to the ransom money?

I pulled out my notebook and started writing down my questions and possible places to find the information. I didn't want to get Greg involved, not yet. What if I was putting two and two together and getting five?

When Carrie delivered my chicken strips, I hurried and ate, anxious to get home to my laptop where I could research my questions.

 

After power walking home, I'd just sat down at the table with a glass of iced tea when a knock sounded at my front door. At least I might have burned off a few of the extra calories from my lunch.

Jackie stood at the doorway, dressed in a dusty blue power suit and heels. A typical Sunday visiting outfit for her. I swung open the door and noticed a Coffee, Books, and More to-go box in her hand. “You don't have to bring something to eat every time you visit.”

She air-kissed me, then made a beeline to the kitchen. “I wanted to grab you before you left the shop, but I got caught up in planning my new promotion. I want your approval so I can get the flyers printed tomorrow.”

I followed her into the kitchen, where she'd already started making a pot of coffee. “I have iced tea.”

She turned and frowned at me. “When have you known me to drink that? You think I'm Southern or something?”

“Plenty of non-Southerners drink iced tea, at least the unsweetened kind.” I'd had a visitor at the shop last month who asked if I had sweet tea and when I offered him sugar for his tea, he'd laughed, telling me I didn't have a clue if I thought sugar alone could make it an acceptable substitute.

Jackie grabbed plates and sliced the pumpkin walnut bread that Sadie had begun providing the shop. The bread was moist and flavorful and just the right treat on a not-so-cold fall California day. At least we could pretend we had four seasons instead of two: summer and not summer.

I closed the Google screen I'd been working on, trying different variations of what I suspected was Marie's former name, hoping I'd get more gossip column discussion of the disappearance.

Jackie's eyebrows raised a bit at my action, but she didn't ask, so I didn't have to tell her. Or lie. She pushed a hand-drawn paper in front of me. “I want to do a book drive for the children's center in Bakerstown. Did you know Sasha's daughter goes there?”

I frowned. “I didn't even realize Sasha had a daughter. Isn't she a little young?”

Jackie pursed her lips. “Don't be judgmental. People make mistakes and they learn from them.”

I held my hands up in a gesture of mock defense. “I only said I didn't realize Sasha had a child. Don't bite my head off.”

“Well, then you need to pay more attention to our young assistant. She's quite a remarkable young lady.” Jackie stood and poured herself a cup of the coffee that had just finished brewing. She held out the pot, questioning nonverbally if I wanted a cup, but I shook my head. When she returned to the table, she focused back on the flyer. “Anyway, I thought with us being a bookstore, we could do a children's book drive for the center. Sasha says they don't have many toys or books available for the kids.”

“I think it's a great idea. We could talk to the center and see what books they'd want, make up a list, then from what wasn't donated, we could fill in the blanks. I guess we'd have to start with a few on hand to make a display.” My mind was racing as I considered the possibilities.

“I already pulled a few of our more popular kids' books earlier.” Jackie picked at her bread. “I needed a distraction.”

I wondered if Toby had given her Josh's card. I covered her hand with mine. “Do you want to talk about Josh?”

Jackie shuddered, then shook her head. “Not now. I want to talk about the book drive. So I have your permission to get flyers made up tomorrow?”

I tapped her hand, then picked up the flyer. “I love the idea. I wanted to do something for the season, some charity thing, but honestly, I haven't even thought about what. At least not since . . .” I paused, not wanting to bring up finding Ted.

Jackie pointed to the flyer. “I'm going to take a picture of a kid reading a book sitting on the couch in the shop. Toby says his girlfriend has a little girl who would be perfect. They're coming in tonight, about seven, to get pictures taken before the shop closes.”

“Wait, Toby's dating a woman with a kid? Elisa, right?” I shook my head. “Is she crazy? Toby's a total player.”

“Well, from the way he talked, he's only dating this woman. She kind of laid down the law on him before she'd agree to go out on a first date. Sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders.” Jackie took back the flyer. “Now, I need you to go to the Bakerstown Children's Center tomorrow and talk to the manager. Sasha says her name is Mrs. Jenson. Have her pull together a list and send it to me as soon as possible.”

“We could just call.” I thought longingly about my free Monday.

“If you want to distance yourself from the project, I guess that's fine.” Jackie sniffed, letting me know her use of the word “fine” really meant “hell no.”

“It just so happens I was planning on going into town tomorrow anyway. I want to meet our new program director for the interns.” I opened my notebook and listed off the children's center visit as one of my to dos for tomorrow.

“You want to meet the new guy? Or you just want to find out more about Ted and who would have killed him?” Jackie laughed at my shocked face. “Toby let it slip that the suicide was staged. It's a small town, you think I get all my gossip from you?”

“Make sure you let Greg know I didn't say anything.” I shook my head. “He's already taken a more official statement, and for once, I'm not a suspect. I guess Carrie can vouch that I didn't have a gun hidden in my picnic basket as I walked down Main Street.”

“You do seem to have the worst luck. I doubt South Cove has had a murder in the last few years that you haven't happened upon or been attached to the victim in some way.”

“It's not like I'm looking to be part of these events, they just happen.” I thought about the way Ted appeared, slumped in the car. “I'd be happy not to find any more dead bodies.” I turned my head skyward. “You listening, God?”

“I think divine intervention doesn't quite work that way. Maybe He has a plan for you.” Jackie finished her coffee. “Either way, we need to get this book drive started. I need some good works points in my book before I go and speak to Saint Peter.”

“Jackie, you're not leaving this earth that quickly. Besides, I'm sure you're already on the good list.” I took her cup. “More?”

Jackie shook her head. “I've done more things I've regretted in my life than you'll ever know. Anyway, I've got to be going. My shift starts in less than an hour and I need to get ready.” She kissed me on the cheek. “Thanks for your help with this. When Sasha told me about how little these kids have, it almost broke my heart.”

I walked her to the door. “We can't save everyone in the world, but we sure can fix this one problem.”

She waved as she got into her car and headed out to the road and the less-than-two-minute drive back to the shop and her apartment. I guess she couldn't have walked the distance in those heels, but sometimes, I wondered about my aunt and her attachment to her car.

I closed the door, bolted the lock, and headed back to the kitchen to continue my search. Instead, I found myself perusing my book supplier's Web site and making a wish list to take with me tomorrow to my meeting with Mrs. Jenson. That way she wouldn't have to make up a list on the spot and she could veto any controversial books.

Although what could be banned for five-year-olds, I had no clue.

The afternoon passed quietly, with a stint out on the back porch with Emma worrying a new bone and me deep into the young adult novel I'd started reading that morning. No wonder adults and kids loved this book. My thoughts were still with the story when I heard the tires of a vehicle spin out in front of the house.

Kids, I thought. Getting one last burst of speed before they entered town and would have their actions reported to their parents sooner than they would arrive home. There were joys of life in a small town, but for the kids growing up here, there were also pitfalls. Everyone felt compelled to watch the kids to make sure no one was causing trouble. That might have been part of life in a tourist town, too; we had an image to uphold. Emma took off for the front yard and started barking.

When she didn't come back when I called, I set the book down on the swing and went around to see what she'd cornered. Probably a rabbit.

She stood at the front door, sniffing a package.

“Hey, girl, what did you find?” I leaned down and realized it was a dead rabbit. But not one my dog had trapped. The body was wrapped in a sheet of paper.

My hands were shaking as I unfolded the paper, setting the body of the rabbit on the edge of the porch rail out of Emma's reach.

“Stop putting your nose in where it doesn't belong,” I read aloud. The words chilled my blood even more. Someone wanted me out of the investigation of Ted's murder. The implications of my continued involvement were clear.

I dialed Greg's private line.

An hour later, I was staring at the television, not seeing the movie that Greg had turned on when he arrived, sitting me gently on the couch, Emma at my feet. There'd been more people than him out on the porch, taking pictures and dealing with the deceased bunny. The hair had been so soft, warm still. Yet I'd known as soon as I'd picked it up and it fell limp in my hand that it had been dead.

I heard voices on the porch, then a car drove away. Greg came into the house and slipped onto the couch next to me, turning the volume down on the television.

“You okay?” He rubbed my arm. “You feel cold.” He reached over the couch and grabbed the quilt I left, covering the back to lay it gently around me.

I swallowed. “I don't know why this is upsetting me so much. It was just a rabbit.”

Greg's voice hardened. “You had a threat on your life. I know you feel bad for the bunny, but maybe you're reacting to the note, not the body?”

“What did you do with it?” I hoped it still didn't sit on my porch.

“Tim took it back to the station. I don't think we could get any evidence off it, but maybe the crime guys can pull a miracle.” He pulled me into his arms. “Seriously, are you okay? You're too quiet, you're scaring me.”

I shrugged, trying to brush off the terror that I was feeling. My throat was dry and I swallowed, trying to keep the waver out of my voice when I spoke. “I didn't know anyone was watching me. I haven't even found out anything.” A vision of Marie's face at Lille's filled my mind. Could she have done this?

“You know Ted was murdered. Why do you mess with things that aren't your business? One of these days, you're going to get into something you can't get out of.”

“Like drug dealers trying to kill me in my shop?” I chided him. When Craig had been murdered last year, I'd been targeted by his murderers because of my inability to stay out of things. I laughed, not feeling the humor. “You'd think I'd learn.”

This time Greg laughed, too. He squeezed me gently. “Your heart's in the right place. I guess I am just going to have to keep you closer to me when trouble visits South Cove.”

“Being close to you isn't a hardship, you know.” I laid my head on his chest. “Thanks for putting me to bed the other night.”

“I was on a Boy Scout mission, to help a woman in distress.” He put up three fingers. “I didn't even steal a kiss.”

I leaned back and stared at him. “You let me fall asleep without a kiss?”

“Okay, so that part I lied about.” He chuckled and put his hand on my head, laying it back down on his chest. “What do you say I take you to dinner? You feel up to heading down to Lille's?”

Lille's. I sat up and pushed the quilt aside. “I need to tell you something.”

When I added the conversation I overheard at Lille's to the list of evidence that had me, at least, convinced Marie Jones was the missing wife, he narrowed his eyes. When he didn't say anything, I couldn't stand it and burst out with “Well?”