Candy Canes and Cadavers

by Angela K Ryan

“Well… maybe. I didn’t just come by to update you on the case. I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed our date last night.”

  Connie felt her smile becoming broader. “I did, too.”

  “Perhaps we can go out again after the holidays.”

  Her heartbeat felt like it doubled in speed. “I’d like that.”

  Zach returned to work, and for the rest of the day Connie tried to remain focused, but an image of Rick Bennett in prison kept pushing its way into her thoughts. Both Sophie and Grace’s friend, Peter Holloway, said that Rick had been vying for Damian’s job. Now that Damian was gone, Rick had been named interim executive director with the possibility of it becoming a permanent position. The promotion probably came with a nice pay raise, as well. If Rick’s motive was to save his job, his plan had worked perfectly… until he got caught.

  It had to be Rick. He had been on Connie’s list of suspects all along. So, why was doubt gnawing at the back of her mind? Maybe it was because it didn’t seem likely that a director would kill his lead actor on the opening night of a performance. Or because both Eloise and Sophie seemed to have stronger motives. Or perhaps it was the expression of pure shock on Grace’s face when she learned the news. Grace was usually a good judge of character.

  Whatever the reason, there was nothing Connie could do about it now. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, one of her favorite nights of the year, and she was determined not to let anything distract her. She couldn’t wait to close the shop early tomorrow, have dinner with her family, and go to midnight Mass. Then the following morning, Santa would bring Hannah and Noah all the presents that Gianna and Gary had hidden in their parents’ room at Grace’s apartment. And the icing on the cake would be when her family and friends gathered in her home for Christmas. She had too much to look forward to. So, what was this uneasy feeling that kept rising inside her like driftwood on a wave?

  If Rick didn’t do it, who did? The only two suspects that remained on Connie’s list were Sophie and Eloise.

  “It’s quiet out there,” Grace said, returning with a shopping bag in hand. “A lot of people must have gone north for the holidays.”

  Connie had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even realize that no customers had come through the door since Grace left an hour before.

  Still unable to push the case out of her mind, Connie found herself grabbing her purse and telling Grace she would return in a few minutes.

  Chapter 18

  As Connie drove down Sapphire Beach Boulevard past Palm Paradise and toward Sophie’s house, she racked her brain for a believable excuse to pop in. She could invite Sophie over for Christmas Day, but what if it turned out she was a killer?

  Bad idea.

  The only legitimate reason she could think of was to make sure that Sophie knew Rick had been arrested. It was a weak excuse, but unless she could come up with a better one in the next few minutes, it would have to do.

  As Connie’s Jetta continued to hug the coastline dotted with mansions, she thought about how she would handle herself. She wouldn’t go inside, just in case Sophie was dangerous, but she would try to engage her in a conversation. She doubted Sophie would invite her in the house, anyway, since Sophie always seemed to think her home was a mess.

  Lost in thought, Connie refocused her attention on her driving and suddenly realized that the street no longer looked familiar. She must have overshot the house. After hanging a U-turn and backtracking a short distance, Connie realized why she hadn’t seen the Pritchard house. There was a large moving van parked in front, blocking the view from the street. It was Big and Burley movers, the same company that Connie had used to move her furniture from her storage unit to Just Jewelry nine months before. Several workers swiftly moved from the mansion into the truck, with boxes and small pieces of furniture in hand, while Sophie sat on a lawn chair staring blankly at all the activity. She looked more like a small child than a criminal.

  Connie parked her car a safe distance from the truck and approached Sophie. She seemed oblivious to the fact that Connie was even there.

  “Hi, Sophie,” Connie said.

  She looked up suddenly, then averted her eyes from Connie’s questioning gaze.

  “Hi, Connie. I guess my secret’s out.”

  Sophie’s strange behavior over the past couple of weeks was beginning to make sense – her reaction the night of the Christmas party when Connie almost went into the guest bedroom, thinking it was the bathroom, and Sophie insisting that Connie and her mother and sister visit with her on the lanai. The Pritchards must have been packing and planning to move even before Damian’s death.

  “Why didn’t you tell anyone you were moving? I’m sure your friends at the playhouse would have helped you pack.”

  Sophie let out a sarcastic chuckle. “I love them, but they are a bunch of busybodies. They would have been more interested in gossiping than helping.”

  “Maybe not everyone,” Connie said. But even as she spoke the words, she wasn’t sure if she believed them herself.

  “Too many of them. Once the rumor mill gets started, it’s hard to shut it down. After I get through this move, I’ll make the announcement. At this point, people will probably think I sold because of losing Damian.”

  “Let them think what they want. Your personal decisions aren’t anyone’s business, anyway.”

  “I’m glad you’re here, Connie. I wanted to let you know that your aunt’s scrapbooks are in the boardroom. Everyone who wants to see them has, so feel free to pick them up at any time.”

  “Thank you,” Connie said. For the second time in two days, Connie discovered that appearances and truth could be two very different things. First Dottie, and now Sophie. Rumors had been circulating that Damian was going to move out and leave Sophie, but that was only half true. Apparently, Damian was planning to move out, but they both were. Damian wasn’t leaving his wife. He and his wife were simply moving.

  “I assume you heard that Rick was arrested,” Connie said.

  Sophie nodded and gazed off into the distance. “It’s ironic that Rick killed Damian to save the playhouse. Damian stopped taking a paycheck last year, which is why we couldn’t afford to stay on top of our mortgage payment. Damian wanted nothing more than to see that theatre thrive. He did everything he could to avoid layoffs. First, he took a pay cut, then he stopped drawing a salary altogether. We knew that would mean giving up the house eventually, but that’s how much we loved that theatre.”

  “That was very generous of both of you,” Connie said.

  “We never should have bought this house to begin with. The mortgage and upkeep were a stretch for our budget, even when we bought it ten years ago, and Damian was still getting the occasional acting job. But we got caught up in living the high life. When money got tight, we decided to sell it. It was Damian who insisted on keeping it through the holidays and having one last Christmas party.”

  “It was a spectacular party,” Connie said. “I will always be grateful to have been a part of it.”

  Sophie managed a brief smile. “It meant a lot to both of us to have you and your family here. It was like having a piece of Concetta.”

  “Where will you go now?” Connie asked.

  “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m far from broke. With the money I have from the sale of the house, I was able to buy a condo in Naples near my brother and his wife, and what’s left will be a nice little nest egg. The condo is not as nice as what Damian and I would have bought if he were still alive, since he likely would have eventually drawn a salary again or gotten another job, but I’m turning over a new leaf to live more modestly. The death of a loved one puts things in perspective. All I really need is to be near family and to have a roof over my head.”

  When Connie had pulled up to Sophie’s home and saw her sorrow, it was clear that Sophie was grieving for Damian. And Sophie couldn’t have been leaning on her acting skills to make it appear that way, since she didn’t know Connie was observing her. Sophie didn’t stand to
gain anything from Damian’s death, so Connie mentally crossed Sophie off her list of suspects.

  Maybe the police did have the right guy behind bars.

  Connie placed her hand over Sophie’s. “The reason I stopped by was to invite you to Christmas dinner on Wednesday at my house. I inherited the condo from Aunt Concetta after she passed away, so in a way, it would like coming to her home.” Now that Connie no longer suspected Sophie, it seemed like the right thing to do.

  Sophie smiled warmly. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m having Christmas dinner with my brother and his family in Naples.”

  “Well, at least you can rest assured that the killer is behind bars,” Connie said.

  “I hope you’re right.”

  Connie looked at Sophie with a questioning glance. “You mean you have your doubts that Rick is guilty?”

  “At first, I thought he was, since he wanted Damian’s position so badly. But the more I think about it, the less certain I am. I have known Rick for many years, and he and Damian have competed for many things, including the job of executive director. But Rick always played fair. I don’t know how the cyanide ended up in his possession, but I have a hard time believing that he’s a killer.”

  “It’s definitely not Dottie,” Connie said. “The police cleared her. I’m sure you heard that she was actually helping Damian.”

  “Yes, I know. I called her to apologize for the way I treated her. I even invited her over this morning and gave her some of Damian’s memorabilia. She’s a very kind woman. She’s just lonely. Besides,” she added, “anyone who thought so highly of my Damian can’t be all that bad.”

  Connie was touched by Sophie’s gesture.

  “William was also on Damian’s list of employees who would likely be laid off, but he had another job offer, so he doesn’t have a motive,” Connie said.

  “I didn’t realize that, and I don’t blame him for jumping ship. He needs to earn a living.”

  “There aren’t many people left. If you don’t think Rick is the killer, is there someone else you suspect?”

  Sophie lifted her palm towards Connie. “I’m done naming names. I going to trust in the justice system and let a jury decide about Rick. I learned my lesson from accusing Dottie.”

  Although Sophie didn’t mention her by name, Connie couldn’t help but notice the gigantic elephant in the room.

  And the elephant’s name was Eloise.

  Chapter 19

  After her conversation with Sophie, Connie returned to Just Jewelry to relieve Grace. It was difficult to keep busy, since it was slow night, and all evening Sophie’s words kept creeping into her mind. “I going to trust in the justice system and let a jury decide about Rick.”

  That was what Connie should do, too. Rick would have his day in court, and if he was innocent, the truth would prevail.

  But she simply couldn’t push from her mind the fact that Sophie, like Grace, who had known Rick for many years, didn’t believe that he would hurt anyone.

  Was Sophie right, or did Rick just snap?

  Connie kept her thoughts about Rick’s arrest to herself when she returned home later that evening, especially since Greg and Gary were still up, and she couldn’t talk to her mother and sister alone. Everyone was so happy that the police had made an arrest, that Connie didn’t want to ruin the moment for them with her skepticism. Besides, she could very well be wrong.

  By Tuesday morning, although Connie still had her doubts, she had managed to put the whole situation out of her mind and keep her thoughts focused on Christmas Eve. Even though it wouldn’t be a merry Christmas for Rick and Priscilla.

  Connie had planned to keep the store open until noon on Christmas Eve, but by 11:00, she hadn’t had a single customer. Just as she was contemplating closing the store early, Ruby scurried past her front door.

  Connie opened the door and called out to Ruby, “Are you closing already?”

  “I’m calling it a day,” Ruby replied. “I haven’t had a single customer all day, and there’s no point sitting in there looking pretty. Many of the shops didn’t even open today.”

  “See you on Thursday, then. Have a Merry Christmas.”

  Connie decided follow Ruby’s lead and take the rest of the day off.

  With some extra time on her hands, now was as good a time as any to stop by the Sapphire Beach Playhouse to pick up Concetta’s scrapbooks. The Christmas Eve performance was at noon, so if she left right away, she would have time to stop in before the play began. Fortunately, Jo and Gianna were preparing dinner, so once again, Connie didn’t have to worry about cooking.

  Since Connie still had Concetta’s key to the administrative offices, she let herself into the boardroom to get the scrapbooks, then loaded them into the backseat of her car. While she was at the theatre, she decided to stop in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

  The first people Connie ran into when she entered the lobby were Dottie and Maxine. Dottie was all smiles, clearly happy to be back as an usher.

  “Hi ladies,” Connie said. “Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas,” the women said in unison.

  As they were chatting about their Christmas plans, Eloise came into the lobby and joined them.

  “I just dropped Stevie off backstage, and thought I’d stretch my legs. Besides,” she added with a wink, “he already doesn’t like his mom constantly hanging around him, and he’s not even a teenager yet.”

  “Oh boy, it’s starting already,” Connie joked.

  “I’m so glad that you decided to come to back to the theatre, Dottie,” Eloise said. “It would have been a shame to let a threatening note keep you away from what you love doing.”

  “She’s one resilient woman,” Connie said with an encouraging smile.

  Maxine excused herself and went back to her station.

  After they chatted for a few minutes, Eloise had to check on her son. “Excuse me while I go keep an eye on Stevie while pretending to do something else,” she said with a slight roll of her eyes.

  “I have to go, as well,” Connie said. “I want to wish some members of the cast a Merry Christmas while I’m here.”

  Connie started down the main aisle in the theatre toward the stage when it suddenly occurred to her. While everyone knew that Dottie had disappeared, it wasn’t public information that she received a threatening note. The only way Eloise could have known about it was if she wrote it herself.

  Connie’s heart was beating rapidly in her chest. She turned around to look at Dottie, who stood facing her at the end of the aisle. Judging from the look of terror Dottie’s face, she pieced it together the same time as Connie.

  Connie picked up her pace and made a beeline backstage. She approached Eloise, who stood by the side entrance to the stage.

  “Eloise, how did you know that Dottie received a threatening note?”

  Her eyes flew wide open. “I…I don’t know. Dottie must have told me.”

  “Did you kill Damian and send Dottie that note to keep her quiet about what she overheard?”

  “Of course not. Please, keep your voice down, Connie. I told you, Dottie must have mentioned the note to me.”

  “Okay, then, I’ll go ask her.” Connie started back toward the lobby.

  “Wait.”

  She turned to face Eloise. “I’m listening.”

  Eloise glanced around, apparently to be sure nobody could overhear. There was a flurry of activity around them, and the actors were busy getting into character and performing vocal exercises, since the show would be starting shortly. Eloise straightened her shoulders and looked directly at Connie. “I did slip Dottie the note. But I swear, I would never have hurt Damian. I only wanted to keep her quiet about the conversation she overheard between Damian and me. It was extremely personal, and if she repeated any of it, it could have destroyed my family. I realize in hindsight that I shouldn’t have threatened her. I was so scared that I wasn’t thinking straight. It didn’t occur to me until she left town how she
might have interpreted it.”

  Eloise’s explanation did make sense. If Dottie had repeated what she overheard, it would have cost Eloise dearly. While sending Dottie the note was a gross misjudgment, it didn’t make her a killer.

  If Eloise wasn’t the killer, Connie was officially out of suspects. Rick was looking more and more guilty.

  “I guess I can believe that it could have been a misunderstanding,” Connie said. “It’s just so hard to believe that Rick is a killer.”

  “I know,” Eloise said. “I’m struggling with that, too.”

  “I guess bankruptcy is the least of his problems now.”

  “What do you mean by bankruptcy? Why would Rick declare bankruptcy?”

  “William told me that Rick was heavily in debt and needed his job with the playhouse to avoid financial ruin.”

  Eloise stroked her chin. “That doesn’t make any sense. When Rick learned that Damian was no longer drawing a salary from the playhouse, he agreed to stop taking one, too. He said he recently received a substantial inheritance from his parents, and it was enough so that he didn’t have to worry about money.”

  “Then why would William have told me that?” Connie asked. “William said that he didn’t want to find himself in Rick’s position, so that was why he is moving to Sarasota - to take a job with a playhouse there.”

  “What are you talking about?” Eloise asked. “My best friend is the executive director for that playhouse. I would know if there were any positions open there.”

  “Are you sure, Eloise?”

  “Positive. She is forever trying to convince me to work for her. Every time there is an opening in the artistic department, she calls me in hopes that I’ll consider taking the job. There haven’t been any openings this entire year.”

  “If William never planned to leave the Sapphire Beach Playhouse, then he had every reason to want Damian out of the picture,” Connie said, slowly piecing together the puzzle.

  Eloise’s jaw dropped as she motioned for Connie to look behind her. Connie slowly turned around to meet the penetrating gaze of an angry Scrooge glaring at her from behind one of the red velvet curtain panels.