One Dead Cookie (30 page)

“Maybe not, but I’m assuming Del and Cody are investigating Stacey and Wade exhaustively.
Our job is to create reasonable doubt.” Olivia pointed to the reference regarding
Snoopy Sam’s rumor. “I’ll bet I can get the answer to this one,” she said. “Give me
a minute.” Olivia flipped open her cell and speed-dialed Sheriff Del Jenkins. She
was sent to voice mail yet again. “Hi, Del, it’s me. I know you’re busy, but I wanted
you to know that Sam Parnell is going around town claiming that Stacey Harald tried
to clean the gavel cookie cutter by running it through her dishwasher. Sam hinted
the police found blood or something else on the cutter. Maybe in the seams? Del, please
let me know if Sam is telling the truth, or if he is doing his usual hatchet job on
an innocent friend of mine. This is really important to me. Call anytime; Maddie and
I are just prepping cookies at breakneck speed for the extravaganza tomorrow. Any
chance you can still come to the party with me? Thanks, Del. I miss you.”

“Ooh, nicely played,” Maddie said.

“I really do miss him.”

“Well, of course you do. I meant the whole outraged-for-Stacey tone, plus the part
about how we’re baking and decorating cookies, rather than interfering in a police
investigation. Think Del will fall for it?”

“Oh, he’ll be suspicious,” Olivia said with a light laugh. “But he won’t leave me
hanging. He knows how we feel about Stacey.”

The kitchen door creaked, and Olivia instinctively sat on her notebook. “Who is it?”
Olivia sounded more demanding than she’d intended.

“Livie? It’s just me.”

“Mom?”

The door wedged open, allowing Ellie Greyson-Meyers’s slight form to slip into the
kitchen. “I’m so sorry if I alarmed you two, but I knew how intensely focused you
would be right now. I didn’t want to startle you into squirting…” Ellie’s gaze had
taken in the table, cleared of all but a few drying cookies. “Are you…taking a break?”

“Mom, am I ever glad to see you.” Olivia pulled out a kitchen chair, and said, “Sit.”

Ellie sat as instructed. “I realize you are distracted, Livie, but have you perhaps
confused me with Spunky?” Ellie had shed her power suit and liberated her hair, which
hung loosely down her back. In her ankle-length calico skirt and long-sleeve knit
top, she projected comfort and serenity.

“Don’t be silly, Mom. Spunky isn’t allowed in the kitchen. Although now that you mention
it, you’re both teeny tiny with hair that always needs trimming, and you both—”

“My, my, such a light, carefree attitude,” Ellie said. “Does this mean you have solved
the murder of Trevor Lane and saved your dear friend Stacey Harald from a life on
the run?”

Olivia capitulated with an exaggerated sigh. “No, Mom, and we are running out of time
before Maddie and Lucas’s engagement party.”

Maddie added, “It’s not really about the party, Ellie. We won’t feel much like celebrating
with all of this still up in the air. So you’ve heard Snoopy Sam’s latest rumor?”

“I have heard Sam’s rumor,” Ellie said, “and dismissed it.”

Olivia’s cell phone sang out the opening lines of “Chapel of Love” yet again. Olivia
groaned.

“Sorry,” Maddie said. “I promise I’ll change that to something dirgelike.”

As the tune began a second time, Olivia grabbed her cell and checked the caller ID.
“It’s Del,” she whispered. “Hi, Del. Thanks for getting back to me so fast. I don’t
mean to be a pest, but—”

“Not possible, Livie. Anyway, I understand. You’re worried about your friend and—”
The blast of a car horn drowned out Del’s words.

“Hey, are you driving? What have I told you about calling me when you’re driving?”
Olivia heard a distinctive snicker and glared at Maddie.

“That it makes you anxious, and I wouldn’t want to make you anxious, would I?” Del
said. “However, I reasoned that your anxiety about Stacey might be a wee bit stronger
than your concerns about me driving while talking on my official police cell phone.
It would be different if
I were texting. Which I would never do except in a dire police emergency.”

“Is there any other kind? But you’re right: I’m worried about Stacey. Just try not
to have an accident until I hear everything you learn. And next time, take a squad
car so the other drivers slow down and pay attention.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Del said. “It’s good to know you care. Now about that cookie cutter
in her dishwasher. The rumor is partly true. We did find a gavel-shaped cookie cutter
mixed in with a load of clean dishes in her dishwasher.”

“Oh no! What about—”

“Don’t panic yet, Livie. I said the rumor was only partly true, and Sam stretched
it even more if he claimed there was blood in the seams.”

“There wasn’t any blood in the seams?” Olivia saw Maddie’s face light up. “What else
did he get wrong?”

“We aren’t convinced it’s the same cookie cutter used to brand Trevor. I mean, it’s
definitely the exact same shape, and it looks well used. It had been cleaned but not
by a dishwasher, at least not recently. We did find traces of dirt in the seams. We
expected to see evidence that the edges had been exposed to heat and…”

Olivia guessed he was hesitant to say “flesh.” “I get the point. Thanks, Del. So you
think someone planted a second gavel cutter in Stacey’s dishwasher? Wouldn’t it have
been more convincing to plant the real cookie cutter used to brand Trevor?”

“Probably,” Del said. “Maybe he or she isn’t knowledgeable about forensics.”

Or has no respect for police competence…

“By the way, Livie, this will all be general knowledge soon, even though we tried
to keep it under wraps. And before you assume we police are hard-hearted and
manipulative, we did quietly let Stacey know the cookie cutter evidence looked bogus.
She promised to keep quiet. Since you didn’t know, and neither did Sam, Stacey must
have kept her word.”

“Of course she did,” Olivia said.

“One more thing before I sign off,” Del said. “We never released any information to
the public about the cookie cutter in the dishwasher.”

“But who would…? Oh.” The truth hit Olivia a second before Del confirmed it.

“Yep. We suspect that whoever sent that rumor into the world might be the person who
murdered Trevor Lane. That part is just between you and me, Livie. Be careful.”

“Any idea who passed the rumor on to Sam Parnell?”

“He claims he was sitting in the park reading the paper when he overheard someone
on a cell phone. He couldn’t describe the voice or remember the exact words used.
He didn’t look around to see who might have been speaking. All in all, Sam is a lousy
witness, so it’s anyone’s guess what really happened.”

“Or how much Sam embellished or made up,” Olivia said.

“Or if someone fed him the informa—” The blast of a car horn drowned out the remainder
of Del’s comment. “Sorry, Livie, some idiot cut in front of me without a signal. Anyway,
keep your ears open and do not take any chances.”

“Will you make it to Bon Vivant tomorrow afternoon?”

“I plan to,” Del said. “I’ll probably be late, though. Don’t worry about Stacey right
now. Just focus on Maddie and Lucas’s party. Okay?”

“Understood.”

“Why don’t I feel reassured?”

“Bye, Del.”

“Mom, are you sure you’ll be okay minding the store?” Olivia asked as she and Maddie
prepared to go AWOL during the workday.

“Of course, Livie. The store will be open for only a couple more hours. Bertha is
here to manage things, and Jennifer will be there, too. I will probably have time
to work on some decorations for the party tomorrow. Bertha said she and Jennifer will
be alone in the store tomorrow morning, as well.” Ellie said. “Shall I come in and
help them?”

“Could you, Mom? You aren’t skipping too many yoga classes, are you? You know what
that does to you.”

“I attended an extra class yesterday. I’m certain the customers will be safe in my
presence.”

Olivia gave her mother a grateful hug. “You’re a lifesaver, Mom. Thanks.”

“You may reward me with cookies,” Ellie said with an impish grin.

“Done. Call if you need me, and definitely call if you hear anything about Stacey
or…”

“Of course. You will be careful, won’t you, Livie?”

“Don’t fuss, Mom. We’re going to chat with a few people, that’s all.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re taking Spunky with you for protection.”

When he heard his name, Spunky yapped and wriggled to free himself from Olivia’s encircling
arm. “I’ll let you down as soon as we’re outside, Spunks.” Olivia was glad her mother
felt comforted by the little Yorkie’s protective persona, but Olivia was counting
more on his charm. She had no intention of exposing her pooch to danger.

Ellie opened the kitchen’s back door. Maddie poked her head out to check the alley
behind the store. “All clear,” she said. “No sign of Binnie…or of Ned’s camera.”

“Come on, team: time to roll.” Olivia stepped into the alley. As soon as she lowered
Spunky to the pavement, he tried to run. Olivia was familiar with his instinctive
need to take off, so she kept a firm hand on his leash. She waited to hear her mother
lock the door behind them before allowing Spunky to pull her down the alley.

“I already forgot,” Maddie said, rushing to keep up. “What’s first on the agenda?”

“First, we avoid attention while we head for the car,” Olivia said. “Then we drive
to Chatterley Paws for an impromptu visit with Lenora Dove and her dear bereaved friend,
Dougie Adair. While you were talking to Bertha about watching the store, I quickly
called Gwen Tucker. She said Lenora and Dougie are watching an old movie on DVD, and
she promised not to mention we were coming. Gwen warned me that Dougie is making noises
about flying back to Los Angeles. I want to get to him first.”

“Won’t it look suspicious if he leaves town during a murder investigation?” Maddie
asked. “Trevor was supposed to be his best friend.”

Olivia put her finger to her lips as they reached the side street where she always
parked her car. “Gwen said Del told him to stick around,” she whispered, “but Dougie
claims he has to make arrangements for Trevor’s Hollywood memorial. I’m not sure what
that means exactly, but I don’t think it makes Dougie look guilty of murder. He might
be a man who is mourning his best friend’s death, feels trapped in a small town, and
wants to go home. Anyway, unless there’s evidence against him, it’ll be tough to make
him stay here for long.”

Olivia led the way to her PT Cruiser and unlocked the doors. For once, she barely
noticed the spicy scent as she opened the door. Maddie slid into the passenger’s side,
and Spunky willingly settled on her lap.

Olivia drove through an alley to avoid the street around the busy park. Within minutes,
they were beyond the Chatterley Heights town limits, heading west toward Chatterley
Paws. Gwen and Herbie Tucker had recently relocated their veterinary clinic and animal
shelter to an old farm.

“Okay, let’s get to the specifics,” Maddie said. “Shall I search Dougie’s room while
you keep him distracted? I can say I’m taking Spunky on a play date with some of the
shelter dogs.”

“Good heavens, no. I want you to charm Lenora and Dougie.”

“That goes without saying, but what else?”

“Maddie, I really don’t have this plotted out step-by-step. We need to keep in mind
our list of questions. I do desperately want to know more about the death of Dougie’s
wife.
Also, about his friendship with Trevor…They were friends in high school, played football
together, and they continued their relationship until Trevor’s death. And yet Trevor
treated Dougie like something between a slave and a bodyguard.”

“Almost like a handler,” Maddie said. “You know, like someone who takes care of everything
for you, makes everything turn out right no matter how badly you’ve messed up.”

“Or someone who makes things go away,” Olivia said. “Inconvenient things.”

“Are you thinking Dougie knows too much about Trevor’s secrets? But wouldn’t that
give Trevor a reason to murder Dougie, not the other way around?”

Olivia slowed down as the new fence around the Tucker property came into view. “I
suspect it went both ways, that they knew each other’s secrets,” she said. “Dougie
might know a good deal about Howie, too.”

“Ooh, the possibilities.” Maddie ruffled Spunky’s ears. “What about Lenora?”

“We’ll need to take whatever she says with a shakerful of salt,” Olivia said as she
pulled up to the Tucker barn. “On the other hand, at some point it might be helpful
if you took Lenora off for a glass of wine. You know how much she likes her wine.”

“Oh yes,” Maddie said, “and I know how talkative she becomes when she imbibes. I shall
allow dear Lenora to chatter to her heart’s content, with perhaps a wee bit of direction
from me.”

As Olivia turned off the ignition, Gwen Tucker emerged from the barn and waved to
them. Waving back, Olivia said quietly, “Showtime.”

*   *   *

G
wen and Herbie Tucker cared for a growing family of orphaned, injured, or abandoned
animals of all types, in addition to their own little son and, now, Herbie’s widowed
Aunt Len. Gwen led Olivia and Maddie through a cluttered living room to their family
room, equally cluttered, where Lenora Dove sat curled up on a comfortable sofa. Her
long hair, dyed auburn, was wound like a turban around her head, and a pale pink satin
sheath hugged her waif-thin body. Lenora looked like a stand-in for an elderly Audrey
Hepburn.