There's Something About Marty (A Working Stiffs Mystery Book 3) (15 page)

She wasn’t kidding. Nor were we the only ones aware of the tension rising on both sides of the aisle. Curtis immediately gave a hand signal to Reverend Fleming to take the podium and then stood to the side for the next hour like a watchful Secret Service agent.

∗ ∗ ∗

With an instrumental version of
What a Wonderful World
marking the end of the ceremony, we funneled into the foyer following Marty’s women and progeny, who Curtis was herding into two separate corners of the reception room.

“Looks like he wants to keep Darlene and the family away from Victoria,” I whispered to Steve as we made our way to the punch bowl.

“The woman who was sitting behind Victoria, too.”

As usual, Steve had missed nothing.

“Who is she?” he asked, handing me a paper cup of fruity punch.

“I can guess.”

“Well?”

I shook my head. “Later.” When there weren’t so many ears around us.

Lucille stepped out of the receiving line for Victoria and sidled up beside me. “Okay, who’s the dame in the blue suit?”

“Don’t know.”

She frowned. “Do you think she could be Bob’s girlfriend? The one you were asking about?”

“I have no idea and please don’t mention that to anyone else,” I whispered in her ear.

“Hey, if it was a state secret you should have said so!” she stage-whispered back, turning a couple of heads.

As soon as she rejoined Alice and Duke in Victoria’s receiving line, Steve pulled me close. “And why were you asking about Bob Hallahan?”

I painted my most innocent smile on my face. “No reason. I was just chatting with the girls.”

“Sure you were.”

“And speaking of chatting,” I said, hooking my arm through my grandmother’s when she stepped up to the punch bowl. “Let’s go pay our respects to Darlene.” Especially since that was the direction Cameron and the woman in blue were headed.

Gram looked back longingly as I led her toward the other side of the room to where Austin and the rest of the McCutcheon family stood near a white sheet cake on a cloth-draped table. “But I wanted to get some punch.”

Falling into step behind Cameron, I handed Gram my cup. “You can have mine.”

She looked at me quizzically. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing. The line’s shorter, that’s all.”

Assessing the two people in line in front of us, she narrowed her gaze. “Uh-huh.”

While we waited for the mayor and one of the city council members to stop glad-handing Jeremy and his mother, I watched the way Darlene kept staring at Cameron, now standing at the front of the line.

She knows.

She whispered something to Jeremy, then walked away from the crowd to the unoccupied far corner.

The brunette in front of us took Cameron’s arm and they set out to join Darlene.

“What’s going on?” Gram asked.

“Couldn’t say.” But since Darlene had moved the conversation away from her children, it clearly had to do with something she didn’t want them to hear.

“Well, heck!” Gram grumbled, stepping out of line. “I can’t very well pay my respects to Darlene if she isn’t here. This might have been the shorter receiving line, but it was a big waste of time.”

No, it wasn’t. Darlene had obviously recognized the woman Cameron was with, probably because Darlene had seen her while she was still married to Marty. I didn’t get a close enough look to tell if she’d been surprised to see Cameron. My gut told me yes, but that the surprise was seeing him here in Port Merritt, not that another son of Marty’s existed. And if that were true, Darlene was very good at keeping secrets—from her children and from Marty.

I spotted Gram’s mahjong buddies, Estelle and Angela, sitting with Alice and Lucille. “Why don’t you sit down with the girls and have some cake.”

“Sounds good. I’m ready to get off my feet,” Gram said.

Me, too, but since the meeting that Darlene had called in the corner appeared to be breaking up, now wasn’t the time for cake. As long as I had a safety pin at the waist of my too-tight pants, I didn’t need cake anyway. Much like I hadn’t needed that fourth slice of pizza last night.

I sighed. For someone who needed to lose thirty pounds I sure made some stupid decisions.

“You okay, honey?” Gram asked me as Cameron and the woman walked past us.

“Sure. I think I’m just a little lightheaded.” And perplexed because they had just disappeared into the foyer.

Gram handed me the punch she’d been sipping for the last few minutes just as I knew she would. “Drink this.”

I quickly downed the cup and deposited her in the chair by Estelle. “I’ll get you some more punch.”

Right after I got a breath of fresh air so that I could find out where they had gone. I was a little hot in my too-tight suit, so I could definitely use some fresh air. At least that’s what I hoped would sound believable to Steve, who had followed me into the foyer.

“The party’s back here,” he said.

Watching Victoria act like a bereaved widow in front of a hundred people she barely knew wasn’t nearly as interesting as what I’d just witnessed. “Yeah, just getting a little air.”

He placed his hands on my shoulders. “So, who is she?”

“I think she’s his mother,” I whispered.

“He has his dad’s eyes.”

This certainly wasn’t the easiest secret to keep. “Yes, he does.”

“Probably not a big surprise that they left so quickly given the circumstances.”

“Probably.” But it made me wonder who besides Darlene and Victoria knew about those circumstances.

An hour later, I was sitting with Gram and Steve and eating the piece of cake I didn’t need while I watched my mother and Mr. Ferris bring up the rear of Victoria McCutcheon’s receiving line.

“That poor woman,” Gram said between sips of punch. “She looks like she’s been through the wringer.”

Poor would never be an adjective I’d use to describe Victoria. Like Darlene had told me the day after her ex-husband had died, Victoria would be receiving quite a windfall for the twelve months she had been married to Marty.

As for her emotional state, I suspected that the beautiful woman in the black pencil dress was the best actress in the room. Like Marietta who was giving her a consoling hug, Victoria knew how to work a crowd. She knew exactly what to say and how to look, especially for the men in that crowd.

Since one of the men by her side was Bob Hallahan, this appeared to be the perfect opportunity to offer my condolences and have a few quiet moments with the two of them.

“You’re right, Gram. She looks worn out. I’m going to see if she’d like some tea.” And not the kind of tea she had been serving her husband.

Steve arched an eyebrow.

“There’s tea?” Gram said, looking around. “I’d love some tea.”

“Steve will get it for you.” I smiled sweetly at him and headed in Bob’s direction before Steve could offer any challenge to my volunteering his services.

The tall man with the graying dark brown hair stood off to Victoria’s side like her personal protector.

I extended my hand. “I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Charmaine. I used to work at—”

“At Duke’s, where you always gave me extra coleslaw with my fish and chips.” He shook my hand. “Of course, I remember you.”

“Good, because you and Marty were two of my favorite customers.”

Okay, that was a stretch because Stanley and Steve had them by a mile, but like my grandmother told me when she once had explained why people sometimes chose to lie, you catch more flies with honey.

Bob’s gaze lowered, his lips registering a fleetingly sad smile.

“It got so I never even asked Marty what he wanted for lunch. Duke would see him come through the door and throw a couple of patties on the grill for his cheeseburger.”

“The man loved his cheeseburgers.” Bob shook his head. “It’s amazing that he was able to keep eating them and still lose weight.”

“I hadn’t realized that he’d lost weight.” Especially with the way everyone had characterized him as a big eater.

“Forty pounds. I only know because he said something about celebrating that on his birthday.”

Thank you for opening that door.
“Victoria mentioned that you weren’t able to attend the dinner party at his house.”

The creases at the corners of his eyes tightened. “No, I had a conflict and couldn’t make it.”

Lie.

“Seems wrong, doesn’t it?” I asked, watching him for a reaction.

He stood statue still as silent seconds ticked between us. “What?”

I leaned a little closer. “To pass away on your birthday. It just seems cruel somehow.”

“Maybe.” He glanced over at Victoria, who was speaking with Curtis Tolliver. “No matter what, it’s hard on the ones left behind.”

It came as no surprise to hear him ally himself with his best friend’s wife.

“I imagine it’s particularly difficult at work. What do you think will happen there?” I already knew that Jeremy had taken over, but I wanted to hear how Bob felt about it.

A humorless grin flashed across his face. “It’s going to be challenging.”

At first I thought the grin had everything to do with Jeremy, but since Curtis had moved on from Victoria to my mother and was now regaling her with all his favorite moments from
The Peachtree Girls
, I wasn’t convinced. “I’m sure Jeremy will do his best to step into his dad’s shoes.”

Bob’s lips flatlined. “I’m sure he’ll try to.”

I heard the sound of footfalls behind me and turned to see Phyllis Bozeman offer a hug to Victoria.

Whatever words were exchanged with Phyllis caused Victoria’s eyes to well up with tears for the first time this afternoon.

I had to hand it to her. The waterworks looked real. Maybe not to Darlene, who was aiming daggers at Victoria from the other side of the room, but they sure did to me. Bob, too, who had gone to her side to offer her the handkerchief from his jacket pocket the instant that Phyllis stepped away.

“I’m okay,” Victoria said, head lowered, her eyes squeezed shut.

Marietta flanked her while Curtis rushed up with a folding chair. “Honay, you don’t look okay. Maybe you should sit down.”

“Would you like some tea?” I asked. A little late but at least I’d made good on the excuse I’d used to come over here.

Victoria trembled, struggling to speak as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I…”

Bob wrapped his arm around her back, turning her away from the watchful eyes of Darlene and her children. “There’s nothing more that you need to do here. Let’s get your things.”

While Curtis and Bob escorted Victoria into the funeral director’s office off the foyer, I inhaled a whiff of jasmine as Marietta edged up next to me.

“The poor thing,” she said without a trace of accent. “I may have gotten rid of three husbands, but at least they didn’t all die on me. It has to take a toll.”

“I’m sure.” Maybe it did. It was hard to fake the emotion I’d just witnessed in Marty’s widow. That didn’t mean that she wasn’t the one who grew the poison used to kill him, or that it wasn’t agony to watch him or any of her husbands die. But I had a feeling that several million dollars would soon help her cope with the pain.

Marietta glanced back at Mr. Ferris, who was sitting with one of the other Port Merritt High teachers. “I think Barry wants to leave soon, which is fine with me.” Leaning into me, she hooked her arm around mine. “But I was thinking.”

Uh-oh.
I could feel several hours of chauffeur service coming on.

“If your grandmother is ready to get out of here, why don’t the three of us head up north to see that chapel? The botanical gardens, too. It’s a little after two so we should have plenty of time to see everything before it gets dark.” She brightened. “It could be like a girls’ day out—something fun after all this somber stuff.”

It wasn’t my idea of fun, but I’d already agreed to help her find a wedding venue, so I couldn’t very well say no. “Okay, if Gram’s game.”

“Not a chance,” Gram stated after I floated the idea to her. She reached out a hand and Steve pulled her to her feet. “I have weeding to do.”

I lowered my voice so that my mother and Barry, saying their farewells to his teacher friends, wouldn’t hear me. “You’d rather weed your garden than help your own daughter plan her wedding?”

I’d resorted to a heavy handed guilt approach. I knew she’d recognize it because my grandmother had used it on me enough times over the years, but I didn’t care.

Gram pursed her lips. “And walk all over Timbuktu to find the perfect place for a wedding I think she’s rushing into? I’ll pass.”

I turned to Steve. “Want to—”

“No,” he said flatly.

“You’re a big help.”

He winked at Gram. “I’m needed to make sure your grandmother gets home safely.”

Before I could get a good glare off at him, Marietta and Mr. Ferris had joined us. “Are we ready to go?” she asked.

Gram handed me her car keys. “Have a good time. Barry, may we intrude upon you for a ride home?”

“Of course,” he said without hesitation.

Marietta wedged herself between her fiancé and her mother. “You’re not coming?”

“Don’t think these old feet could handle that much walking.” Gram smiled at her. “You two go have fun.”

Yeah
, I thought, heading out the door.
That could happen.

“You know, I hadn’t thought about all the walking.” Marietta shot me a sideways glance as the chunky heels of her short boots thunked, thunked, thunked down the stairs to the parking lot. “Maybe we should change into jeans and more comfortable shoes.”

I didn’t relish the idea of spending the next few hours in a too-tight pantsuit, but since Bob Hallahan and Victoria were in the silver SUV easing past me, the only side trip I wanted to make was to get a sense of where they were headed.

And since Bob was turning left onto Main Street instead of right toward Clatska, I knew I needed to hurry. “Let’s get as much done as we can. Do you have your list?”

Marietta patted her tote bag. “Got it!”

I opened the passenger door of my grandmother’s Honda, double-parked behind Mr. Ferris’s car. “Then let’s roll.”

∗ ∗ ∗

Forty minutes later, I was headed northwest on 101, twenty car lengths behind Bob’s SUV, when I saw his right turn signal flashing.

I put on my turn signal.

“According to the directions they gave me over the phone, the exit for the botanical gardens is the next one,” my mother said, pointing at the map that she had been studying for most of the trip.

“I saw a sign back there for a bed and breakfast. It’s on the way so let’s check it out.”

“This wouldn’t have something to do with the car that we’ve been following, would it?”

“What car?”

Marietta peered at me over her designer sunglasses. “Give me some credit. You’ve been pacing them ever since we got on the highway.”

I sighed as I took the exit. “Fine. Victoria McCutcheon is in that car, and I was curious about where they were going.”

“We’ve been following Victoria and that nice man she was with ever since we left the funeral home?”

“Yeah, well, there are some possible extenuating circumstances concerning her husband’s death and—”

“She had something to do with his death?”

“No, no, no,” I said, taking a right turn at a stop sign and following the flash of silver in the distance. “This is just… I’m just trying to…” Criminy, I couldn’t think of a believable lie.

“You do! You think she had something to do with his death, and you’re tailing them to find out where they stashed something that went missing.” She slapped her knee. “Oh, my gosh, it’s like the episode when I had to follow a suspect to an abandoned warehouse, but he spotted the DeLorean and drew a gun on me.”

“There won’t be anyone drawing any guns on us. I’m just conducting a little research.”

She pulled something out of her bag. “Well, in the event that anyone gives us any trouble, I’m ready.”

I didn’t like the sound of that and glanced over at the Taser resting on the map. “Are you crazy? Put that away!”

“It’s in the case. It’s perfectly safe. So, who is he to her exactly?”

“Her husband’s best friend.”

“He doesn’t look at her like a friend.”

That’s what I thought.

“I take it you think they’re lovers?” she asked.

Having lost sight of Bob’s car, I turned left at the sign for the bed and breakfast. “I don’t know.”

“And her husband died suddenly.”

“Yeah.”

“Sounds like a movie I made a few years back, only I was the rich wife my cheating husband and his girlfriend killed off.” Marietta heaved a pensive sigh. “Probably one of my best death scenes ever.”

And she’d had plenty in all the horror films she’d been in.

“Pity most of it ended up on the cutting room floor. You saw it though, right?”

I never missed any of her movies. No matter how bad most of them were, she was still my mother. “You were good in that.”

She stared straight ahead, a smug smile on her lips. “You’re damned right I was good.”

Making a steady climb to a bluff overlooking Protection Island, we followed an arrow up a driveway to the Rock Cottage Inn.

“Oh, this is lovely,” Marietta said, removing her sunglasses as we drove past a wishing well fashioned out of the same river rock as the quaint cottages on the manicured grounds behind it.

Maple trees aglow in the copper tones of early fall lined the short drive that led to a parking area in front of what had to have been the original house on the property.

A short white picket fence bordered the rose garden that separated the four-car parking area from the gabled two-story house with the rock turret.

With the exception of the two modern-day cars parked in front of it, the house looked like something out of a fairytale. Since one of those cars belonged to Bob Hallahan, I knew I needed to get out of sight and fast.

Seeing that the driveway continued down a gentle slope where it curved around a stand of young fir trees, I pulled in behind them and killed the ignition.

My mother dropped her Taser back into her tote. “Goody,” she said, reaching for the door handle.

I gripped her arm. “Where are you going?”

“To look around.”

“No, no. Remember when you did stakeouts on your show?”