Food, Family, and Murder

by Patti Benning

  “Where are the three of you staying?” he asked.

  “We have a room at the hotel just outside of town,” Max said. “I’m not sure if we’re still going to stay all weekend though.”

  “Why don't you come and stay with me? I have a spare bedroom, and I think I have a blowup mattress that Cate could sleep on. The hospital is just north of town, and it will be easier for us to visit Erica that way.”

  Max and Chloe exchanged a look, then Chloe nodded. “If you're sure you don't mind. I really would feel better being around family right now. I wish we knew what happened to her. Did you see anything?”

  Nick looked down at Cate and gave his head a small shake. Autumn understood that he didn't want to mention the blood that they had seen in front of the little girl. His sister seemed to understand. Chloe took Cate's hand and squeezed it. “Well, we’ll stop at the hotel and get our stuff, then head over to your house.”

  “I'll meet you there,” Nick promised.

  Autumn waited until the three of them had made their way to their car before turning to Nick. “Nick… I'm so sorry,” she said.

  “You shouldn’t be apologizing, none of this is your fault,” he said to her, gently grabbing her hand. “Do you want to come to my house, or would you like to go back home?”

  “I think I should go back to my house,” she said. “This is a family matter. I think that you should be with your family for this. Let me know as soon as you find out what happened to Erica, okay? I really hope she's okay.”

  “So do I,” he said quietly. “I'll drive you home. I might not be in at work tomorrow.”

  Autumn nodded. Usually, she didn't work on weekends, but she had switched shifts with the other chef so that she could attend the brunch with Nick’s family on Monday.

  “I'll keep quiet about what happened until you know more,” she promised. “If you need anything, Nick, let me know. I'm here for you.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  * * *

  At home that evening, Autumn settled into the most comfortable chair in her living room with Frankie on her lap and her phone within easy reach. She was worried, both about Erica and about Nick. She had no idea how the woman was doing, or even if she was still alive. She couldn't get the thought of Erica's limp form out of her mind.

  Suppressing a shiver, Autumn picked up her phone and checked it for the umpteenth time, wishing that Nick would call or even text her to tell her what was going on. It had only been a couple of hours since Erica had been taken away in the ambulance, and she tried to tell herself that her family probably didn't even know anything yet. She had already promised herself that she wouldn't call Nick until he had contacted her. This was a family matter, and she didn't want to intrude. No matter how much she liked him, she knew that this was something that he had to deal with alongside the people he loved.

  She had promised him that she wouldn't talk about what had happened at work, knowing how quickly rumor could spread in the small town. She had, reluctantly, decided that that meant that she couldn't even tell Alicia and Bonnie about it. She didn't want to cause any more problems for his family, and the last thing they needed was for strangers on the street to be coming up to them and asking about the attack in the park.

  She couldn't focus on the television, so after a little while she went into the kitchen and started baking, something that always took her mind off of her problems if she was upset. It only helped for so long, though, and when she had a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies cooling on the counter, she was right back to worrying. She wanted desperately to know what was going on and whether the young woman had survived or not.

  “Come on, Frankie,” she said. “Let's go on a walk. Maybe by the time we get back, Nick will have updated us.”

  She didn't hear from him until late that evening, right before she was about to go to bed. He called her while she was brushing her teeth at the sink, and she hurried to spit out the toothpaste and wipe her mouth before answering the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi,” he said, sounding subdued. “We just got back from the hospital. She… she didn't make it.”

  Autumn felt her heart plunge. “Nick, I'm so sorry.”

  “Someone attacked her,” he said. “Someone did this to her. They killed her… on purpose. I know she wasn't always the easiest person to get along with, but she was family. Who would do something like that?”

  Autumn didn't know what to say. I'm sorry didn't seem to be enough. “Do the police have any leads?”

  “Nothing,” he said bitterly. She closed her eyes.

  “Let me know if you need anything,” she said.

  “I should go now,” he said. “Cate’s in bed, and Max and Chloe are going to want to talk. I probably won't be in at work tomorrow. I'll see you sometime this week, okay?”

  “Take as much time as you need,” she told him. “And give your family my condolences.”

  It felt odd to be going into work the next morning, knowing that Nick wouldn't be there, and it felt even worse knowing why. It was going to be a hard day, but she knew that there was no way she could take it off. It would just complicate things for Nick, and besides, if she did call the other chef and ask to switch shifts again, the other woman would want to know why. She didn't want to bring up what had happened to Erica with anyone at work until Nick was ready to share the information with others.

  She tried to push thoughts of Nick and Erica out of her mind when she arrived at the nursing home. Breakfast would be an easy start to the day; it was always one of the quickest meals to make. Instead of changing every day like the rest of the meals did, the menu remained largely the same. Today she made oatmeal, sausages, scrambled eggs, and chopped up fruit for a refreshing fruit salad. As the residents trickled in, she helped Emily serve them and take orders. It was seven o'clock in the morning, but she had already been up for a couple of hours, and she wasn't sleepy in the slightest.

  “Do you know if Nick is planning on coming in today?” Emily asked as they passed each other in the kitchen doorway, Autumn with a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of fruit in her hand.

  “I don't think so,” Autumn said. “Why?”

  “I wanted to see if I could schedule some time off in advance for the Fourth of July. I realized that a lot of people might want that day off, so I'd better get on it sooner rather than later.”

  “You'll probably have to wait until later this week to ask him,” she said. “I'll try to remind you, though.”

  “Thanks,” Emily said, smiling at her.

  Autumn smiled back, even though she didn't feel happy in the slightest. She hated thinking about Nick, mourning at home with his family, while she worked here pretending to be cheerful. Should I stop by after work with a bouquet of flowers or a casserole? she wondered. She didn't know what to do in a situation like this. If it was her who had lost a family member, what would she want Nick to do? She frowned as she put the bowl of oatmeal in front of one of the residents, trying to put herself in her boyfriend’s shoes.

  She would want to spend time with her family, she decided. If something like this had happened to her, she would feel bad if Nick felt as though he had to be around. She wouldn't want to have to worry about him on top of everything else. With a sigh, she decided to continue giving him space.

  The sigh was a mistake. She hadn't realized that she was standing right next to Uncle Albert and Aunt Lucy's table. Her uncle caught her wrist as she walked past.

  “What's wrong, Autumn?” he asked, worry in his eyes. She hesitated. The word, “nothing,” was on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t want to lie to him. Instead, she said, “I'll tell you after breakfast.”

  Nick, she figured, wouldn’t mind her telling her aunt and uncle what had happened. They were her family, after all, and she needed to talk to someone.

  CHAPTER SIX

  * * *

  When Autumn had promised not to tell anyone about what had happened, she didn't think that Nick would have expected her to k
eep it from her aunt and uncle. He knew how close she was to them. What she hadn't been expecting was for Westley Phillips, the retired mystery writer, to be in their room with them when she got done cleaning up after breakfast.

  “Oh, hi,” she said, surprised to see him sitting next to her aunt when her uncle opened the door.

  “Autumn, I'm glad you're here. Maybe you can solve this mystery for us.” He picked up a newspaper and angled it so she could see the front page. “One Erica Holt was murdered yesterday. I'm guessing she's a relation of Nick’s?”

  Autumn sighed and shut the door behind her, following her uncle as he walked across the room to take a seat in the armchair. She sat on the couch, next to Westley.

  “I should have known that if anything was in the news, you'd pick up on it,” she said. “I'll tell you what happened, but I don't want any rumors being spread around, okay? Will you promise not to say anything to the other residents until Nick is ready for everyone to know about it?”

  “Of course. I don't write anymore. I'm just curious for myself.”

  “Okay,” she said, trusting the older man. So far, Westley had been a good friend to her aunt and uncle, and she liked him. He had a sharp mind and saw things differently than most people did.

  “Someone related to Nick was killed?” her uncle asked, paling. “I had no idea, Autumn. I'm sorry. I read the article in the paper, but such a common last name that I didn't make the connection.”

  “It's fine,” she said. “I haven't really talked about it with anyone yet, anyway. It will be good to discuss it with the three of you.”

  “What happened, Autumn?” her uncle asked.

  She took a deep breath, then launched into the story of what had happened at the family reunion. Talking about it gave her chills. It was hard to believe that Erica was dead now. She hadn't known her well, but the other woman had been so vibrant and alive when she had first met her.

  “What leads do the police have?” Westley asked when she was done.

  “None that I know of,” Autumn said.

  “What else do you remember about the picnic? Was anyone there acting suspiciously? Anyone that Erica didn't seem to get along with?”

  “Westley.” Her uncle's voice held a tone of warning.

  “No, it's okay,” Autumn said. “It's good to talk about it. It's not like I can talk to Nick about it, he’s too involved in all of it. And no one else knows.” She fell silent for a moment, thinking. “Well, I know she was arguing with her cousin, Sadie, a little bit, but from what I gathered, that was normal for them. One of her ex-boyfriends was there as well, but from what he said, their relationship was comfortable.” She frowned. “I did overhear two people arguing not long before she was found. I don't know who they were, though. Nick introduced me to everyone there, but I can only remember a few names.”

  “What were they arguing about?” Westley asked.

  “I'm not sure, exactly. One of them said ‘I think she saw us,’ or something along that line. I wish I could remember it more clearly.”

  The older man made a considering noise and stared down at the paper on the table. “I know I promised not to say anything, but I do wish Nicholas was here so you could ask him who the two people you overheard were.”

  “It probably didn't have anything to do with her,” Autumn said. “Do you really think one of her family members would kill her?”

  “Sometimes the worst enemies are those that are related to us,” Westley said. “Not every family is happy. Not everyone gets along. Being related to someone else by blood doesn't automatically mean that you like them.”

  “It's just hard to imagine Nick's family doing something like that,” she said. “They all seemed so nice, and… and I know Nick would never hurt someone.”

  “Something happened to the poor girl,” he said. “I know it's hard to imagine, and no one likes to think that someone they know might have it in them to be a killer, but I've done a lot of research for my novels. Most of the time when something like this happens, it was someone that the victim knew.”

  Westley’s last sentence kept replaying in her head when she left a few minutes later. She still had a couple of hours until she had to start making lunch, so she decided to head out. Sometimes she chose to wait around at the nursing home, helping the other staff members with small tasks, or reorganizing the pantry in the kitchen, but today, she wanted to be on the move. She thought again about stopping by Nick's house but settled on calling him instead.

  “Hey,” he said, his voice sounding soft and tired over the phone.

  “Hey yourself,” she said. “How is everything?”

  “Chloe and Cate just went out to the grocery store. Cate is so young, she doesn't really understand what happened. Max is pretty upset.”

  “How are you?”

  “I don't know,” he admitted. “It hasn't really sunk in yet. Erica was nearly a decade younger than me. I used to babysit her, you know. Over the summer and holidays, when our families would get together… I still remember her as the bratty little girl who used to sneak downstairs and steal cookies out of the cookie jar when I was supposed to be watching her. I just don't understand why someone would have killed her. She didn’t always think before she acted or spoke, but she was a good person at heart. She didn't deserve this.”

  “I know,” Autumn said. “I know I say it a lot, but I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”

  “They’ve already started talking about her funeral,” he said. “It will likely be at the end of the week. My sister and her family will be staying until then. I know it’s a lot to ask, but would you mind coming to the funeral with me?”

  “Of course I’ll come,” she said. “I told you I'd be there for whatever you needed, Nick. If you want me there, I'll be there.”

  “Thank you,” he said, sounding relieved. “It's going to be hard. I'm going to be going to the funeral of someone that I grew up with. It seems surreal.”

  “It isn't something that anyone should have to do,” she said. “Listen, I know that Chloe and Cate are out in town. If you want me to meet up with them and grab a bite to eat, or just keep them company, I'd be happy to.”

  “That would be wonderful,” Nick said. “I know Chloe just wanted to get out of the house with Cate. The poor girl doesn't understand why her parents and I are so upset, and she needs something to take her mind off of this.”

  “What did her parents tell her?”

  “Just that her cousin Erica has gone on to a better place, and that she needs to be on her best behavior because it's hard for a lot of people. They didn't tell her how it happened.”

  “Of course not.” She imagined the little girl trying to make sense of her cousin's death. It was probably the first time that anyone close to her had passed away. It was a lot for a child to come to terms with. “If you give me Chloe's number, I'll call her myself.”

  “Thank you. I don't know what I’d do without you.”

  “Let me know if you need anything else,” she said.

  “I will,” he said. “I've got to go, Max invited a couple of other people over, so we're probably going to be talking about Erica again. We’re all trying to figure out who could have attacked her. If you do meet up with Chloe and Cate, I hope you have a good time. Chloe is great; I think the two of you will like each other a lot.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  * * *

  Glad that she had a couple of hours before lunch, she dialed the number that Nick had sent to her and called Chloe.

  “Hi, it's Autumn. You met me yesterday,” she explained when the other woman answered the call.

  “Oh, I remember. Hi, Autumn. Did Nick ask you to call?”

  “He just mentioned that you and Cate are out in town and might want some company. I've got a couple of hours before I have to be back to the nursing home. Would you like some company?”

  “I wouldn't want to be any trouble…”

  “I don't mind, I would actually love to get lunch with t
he two of you. It's not every day that I get to meet up with Nick’s sister.”

  “Well, all right, if you’re sure,” the other woman said. “Where would you like to meet?”

  The diner that Autumn chose was a place that she had frequently haunted over the years. It was small, with only a handful of tables, and the owner, who was also the cook, looked old enough to be one of the senior residents in Asheville Meadows. However, the food was good, and everyone who worked there was friendly. There were a handful of arcade games in the corner, and free ice cream for younger children like Cate.

  “Thanks for taking time out of your day for this,” Chloe said. “I feel bad for leaving Nick and Max on their own, but I just had to get out of the house. Cate was going stir crazy, and she's too young to really understand the magnitude of what happened. I thought it would be better to distract her.”