A Sneeze to Die For

by Teresa Trent

  Nora stood and placed an arm around Lucy. “This is my sister Lucy. Lucy this is Doug Lindstrom and our guest of honor Evangeline Cartwright.” Even though Lucy and Nora were sisters their physical appearance couldn’t be any more different. Nora was a tall attractive redhead who received a lot of attention from men because of her good looks. Lucy shared her attractiveness, but with black hair and warm brown skin.

  “And you say you are sisters?” Evangeline asked. “Adoption?”

  Lucy smiled. “ It’s a long story.”

  “Won’t you join us for dinner?” Doug asked.

  Lucy glanced at her watch and then said, “what the heck. Mom isn’t expecting me for an hour anyway.”

  Doug reached over to another table and grabbed a chair. Lucy graciously accepted it.

  Another waiter came out from the kitchen holding a plate and silverware. He set it in front of Lucy and rearranged the other plates on the table.

  “Thank you. What happened to Caesar?” Nora asked.

  “ He said he’s been here for 12 long hours. So, he had to go home.”

  After the waiter finished with the place setting Lucy touched Nora on the arm. “You look like you’re still in one piece after being trapped in the elevator. It’s just awful what happened. You’re lucky you didn’t fall down that big hole yourself. Where’s Tuck? Shouldn’t he be here swooning over you?”

  “He’s busy but he’s stopping by tomorrow. So much has happened it’s hard to remember it all. My elevator mishap happened the day before Alan Shaw ended up at the bottom.”

  The waiter brought over a basket of bread and Lucy immediately grabbed a piece. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast. There does seem to be a lot going on around the elevator. I hate to be the first to say it, but what if Alan Shaw was pushed?”

  “We were just discussing that possibility,” Evangeline said “You know, as a mystery writer, I should be all over this. Somehow, though, it’s different when it happens in real life. Where are all those quirky characters and near genius amateur sleuths?”

  Doug buttered a piece of bread. “ Who would think working in a hotel would be so dangerous?”

  “You’re telling me,” Nora said.

  Doug’s eyes rolled over Lucy. “And what is it that you do? Are you also in the hotel business?”

  “No. I’m a financial planner. I help people make money.” Lucy had a twinkle in her eye as she flashed a smile.

  They enjoyed their dinner and Evangeline filled them in on what it was like to be a writer. It seemed so different from working in a hotel and required a lot of time working alone. Nora wasn’t sure she could ever be motivated to work all by herself day after day. Then again, after all the crazy things that were happening during this convention, a little peace and quiet sounded very attractive to her. As Evangeline spoke, Nora couldn’t help but notice the admiration in Doug’s eyes. He was in love with her.

  “I’d better be going. I promised Mama I’d stop by on the way home to tell her about the accident. She picked up an evening shift.” Lucy’s mother continued to work at Shady Sunsets even though her daughter had come into an inheritance. When asked about it, she stated she had always looked after herself and wasn’t going to start mooching on her daughter.

  “Besides, that’s where my friends are now. I might as well be there for them,” Arnette Cooper had told Lucy.

  “Lord knows, why she’s working so many hours. It’s not like she needs the money,” Lucy said as she put back on her heels that she had kicked off under the table.

  Lucy looped her arm through Nora’s. “I just want you to know, if you need anything, just call.”

  “Thank you.” Nora said. “Somehow, I don’t think I’ll be hearing that from Corey.”

  “So how is the investment business going?”

  “It’s good. It’s a little different when you’re risking your own money, but it’s still good.”

  Nora had taken part of her inheritance and given it to Lucy to invest. After hearing all the good things, she had done for Tatty and Ed, she decided taking a risk with Lucy really wasn’t a risk. “And how much has my savings doubled?”

  “Working on it. Remember long term investments work best.”

  It was such a novelty to have cash to invest that it was thrilling when Lucy came to tell her that she had increased her dividends.

  “Has Corey said anything to you about our earnings from Brockwell industries?”

  “No. We were supposed to get a report last month. Every quarter, right?”

  “That’s what the lawyer said.”

  “Why do I feel like we’re after him for child support?”

  Nora added, “Why do I feel like he might be pocketing our earnings? It gets worse. He and Wiley are now working together to get our food shipments.”

  Lucy gasped. “Corey helping another human being? Corey helping your hotel? Something’s not right here. “

  “I know. Nothing seems to be happening the way we expected. starting with Mr. Shaw’s untimely death.”

  Evangeline had been quietly listening and finally joined in. “The Tunie has been around for so many years I just have to wonder if this is the first murder?”

  “If it does turn out to be a murder, it will be the first one … That we know of.”

  Lucy smiled. “You never know. If those walls could talk. I’m headed over to Shady Sunsets. Your grandmother has been asking about you.

  “Tell her I’ll see her at Tatty and Ed’s anniversary dinner.” Nora hated putting her off and vowed she would make it up to her once the conference was over.

  Chapter 27

  W

  The next morning as Nora sipped at her coffee behind the front desk of the hotel Tuck walked through the lobby door.

  “I hear there was a big missing persons … uh, cat case yesterday.” He said. He clearly was acting like the embrace in the hallway had never happened. Nora wondered if she could do the same.

  “How did you hear about it?”

  “They were talking about it when I got into the office this morning.”

  “I’m surprised your old girlfriend didn’t text you,” Nora said.

  Tuck put on a lopsided grin and looking to make sure there wasn’t anyone else in the lobby, stepped behind the desk with Nora, taking her into his arms. “Now, I told you she was in my past. My distant past. She seems to have forgotten I was the one who broke it off with her, not the other way around.”

  He gently placed the palm of his hand on Nora’s cheek. She looked up at him, “You promise?”

  “By my oath as a lawman and an Eagle scout. Did you have to put up with her yesterday during the search?”

  “Amazingly, no. I guess she doesn’t do that kind of thing.”

  Tuck’s police walkie sounded off on his belt. “Tuck. We need you back here at the station. Right away.”

  “Can it wait?”

  There was a pause on the other end and then the radio crackled. “No sir. We have a suspicious death.”

  “On my way.” He tipped up Nora’s cheek and kissed it. “Sorry about this. We were just getting to the good part.”

  “Go,” Nora whispered. They were getting a little of what they had back.

  As she watched him exit, she wondered if Catpurnicus had ever been found. She came in at 7 and none of the guests had been up yet. She hoped that they would start coming down for breakfast soon.

  Dominic came in holding a small camera. “Doesn’t look like I got anything again. I think all this commotion is making the ghosts hide.”

  “I am more than willing to put up with a ghost for a few days of quiet,” Nora said.

  When Dominic volunteered to take over at the front desk, Nora decided to grab a few minutes to herself. She climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. Hidden away on this floor was an alcove that looked out
on the main street of Piney Woods. When Nora had first come to work at the hotel the alcove was a long neglected empty space, but she had suggested moving a comfy chair into one of the corners. Marty surprised her when she had one of the original chairs from the Tunie reupholstered in a soft velvety brown. Now it was one of Nora’s favorite places to go and think. As she sunk into her favorite chair, she tried to sort out her thoughts. Tuck was ever present in the back of her mind, but she also wanted to get to the bottom of Alan Shaw’s murder. While speaking with Camille Martin-Ortega yesterday she was amazed that no one had uttered that Mr. Shaw had been murdered.

  She let her gaze drift out the window to Main Street. It was just another day in Piney Woods with people visiting Dudley’s Brew for a fresh cup of coffee and then strolling over to the library to pick up the latest best seller. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the church bell had just begun a rendition of Amazing Grace.

  She tried to replay Alan Shaw’s entrance at the Tunie. When she first saw him, he was ringing that bell. She asked him to join her at the front desk. He followed and then finding he did not have a reservation, she called Hickelby’s Motor Lodge.

  Nora’s phone began to ring.

  Tuck answered on the first ring. “Hey, where are you?”

  “I’m at the hotel. Where are you?”

  “I’m at the hotel. I just got here, only I don’t see you anywhere.” He sounded worried and impatient.

  “I’m on the fourth floor. I’m in the alcove at the end of the hall.”

  “Okay. I can find that. Stay right where you are. I’ll come up.”

  A minute later Tuck came out of the stairway door, panting slightly. Nora noted he also didn’t want to get back in that elevator.

  Tuck’s eyebrows furled as he came closer to her hiding place. His walk was efficient as he came near to her. “What are you doing way up here?”

  “I just needed some time to clear my head. Did they find Catpurnicus?” Nora said.

  “Not that I know of. How well did you know Rick Stephenson?”

  “Just that he’s an investigative reporter who is trying to find out more about Alan Shaw’s murder. Why are you speaking in past tense?”

  “One of the searchers stumbled over his body in a clump of trees on the edge of town. It looks like blunt force. A lot of blunt force in multiple areas.”

  “He was beat to death?”

  “More like crushed. If I had to guess I would say he was hit or even run over by a car.”

  “The only reason he came here was because I called him. He worked for the magazine that Alan Shaw did the most freelance work for. He was so interested in what happened to Alan he just showed up.” Nora hated to admit she was relieved his death was in no way connected to the Tunie.

  “When was the last time you saw Mr. Stephenson?”

  “Yesterday. Here. He was going to go out and try and interview people from the convention to find out what Alan Shaw was investigating.”

  “I think we’d all like to know that. Looking at all theories, he might have just been run over by a drunk driver last night.”

  “That’s true.” Nora knew neither of them believed that theory for a minute, but she agreed anyway.

  “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

  “I was up here trying to go through Alan Shaw’s attempt to check in to the hotel. He was angry because I was not at my post.”

  “Where were you?”

  “I had just come back from straightening chairs in the dining room. Anyway, he was standing there by the …” Nora stopped as something occurred to her.

  “I need to go.” She rose from the chair.

  Tuck’s walkie squawked on his shoulder.

  “Tuck? We need you back at the crime scene.”

  “On my way,” he said into the small black box. He turned to Nora. “Where are you going?”

  “It could be nothing. I’ll let you know.” Nora took the stairs two at a time.

  Chapter 28

  W

  As Nora came out of the stairway door, Izzy Franklin was standing at the elevator waiting for a car. “Nora? I was on my way up to speak with you. The guy at the desk said you were on the fourth floor. I just wanted to take a moment to talk to you.” Nora’s shoulders heaved from the exertion of coming down the stairs.

  “Yes?” Nora answered, worried Izzy was here to file a complaint about her losing the manuscript. She couldn’t blame her if she wanted to take such an action. “Listen if it’s about the manuscript …”

  “It is. But it’s not what you think. I just came to apologize. You were stuck in an elevator, and I was wrong to go after you. Evangeline helped me to see that. Also spending some time in the Piney Woods jail has made me reevaluate my anger issues. I hope that you will accept my apology.”

  This apology was a major change for Izzy. Had the little librarian been scared straight in the dinky Piney Woods jail? It was closer to the jail from The Andy Griffith Show than Riker’s Island.

  “That’s very kind of you,” Nora said in relief. She had liked Izzy before the manuscript incident. Her apology was welcome. Nora secretly cheered her on for going after Sasha LeClaire after Sasha’s treatment of Evangeline. Now she wished that she had thrown a punch or two.

  “Well, I felt like I needed to do this because someone has shown me a great kindness, and I can see what effect it has on another human being.”

  Nora smiled as her heart warmed. “Do you mean Evangeline?”

  “Yes.” Izzy brought her hands together in front. “Yes. Yes. Yes. She’s read through some of my manuscript, and while it’s not perfect, and it needs some work she sees potential in it. Potential in me,” she squeaked. “I am just so grateful that she spent that time with me.”

  “That’s wonderful. I have to say I really admire the way you kept trying.”

  “One thing you learn when you’re a writer is that you have to overcome obstacles and live with the ups and downs. No matter how many things seem overwhelming you have to keep plowing on.”

  Nora liked Izzy’s new attitude. It was something she needed to use in her own predicament. “Wow. How do you continue to feel motivated when you don’t have somebody there supporting you?”

  “Sometimes when things are bad, you have to keep thinking, working and figuring out a way to make it work for you. That works for me better than ten people telling me what a good job I’m doing.”

  Nora mulled over what Izzy was saying. She had been putting out fires for so long, she had forgotten to look at everything that was in front of her.

  Izzy continued unaware of Nora’s soul-searching. “It really just takes focus. A lot of focus.”

  Nora knew what she was saying was right. She needed to quit bouncing off the external bumpers in this proverbial pinball game and just concentrate on getting through the convention.

  Izzy glanced at the bag on the desk. “What were you doing? Is there a business office on the fourth floor?”

  Izzy gave her an expectant look as if she was waiting for Nora to turn in an overdue book.

  “I have a hunch about something. Something I overlooked that has to do with Alan Shaw’s … accident.”

  “Don’t you mean murder?” Nora put a finger to her lip to the librarian.

  “Shhh.”

  “Very good. You should consider working at the library. Listen, everybody in town thinks the guy was murdered. I don’t think you’re going to be able to sit on this much longer.”

  “Just as long as it doesn’t come out until after the convention.”

  Comprehension came into Izzy’s eyes. “Got it. Keepin’ it on the downlow.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell anybody else. Alan Shaw was not here to report on cats. He was here to interview somebody.”

  “Evangeline. Everyone knew tha
t.” So much for slowly revealing the truth, Nora thought.

  “Okay, so you know about that. Somehow, I get the feeling that he was trying to smear Evangeline Cartwright. I think he had something on her, and I can’t figure out what it was. He also wrote a bunch of mean reviews and an article slamming the hotel. He was a mean little man.”

  Izzy tapped her foot ignited by Shaw’s list of offenses. “What are we looking for?”

  “Follow me.”

  When Nora and Izzy walked past the front desk, Dominic was busy directing a couple of guests to a drugstore. Nora zeroed in on the computer where Alan Shaw had been standing the first time she met him. Sure enough, there was a thumb drive sticking out the USB slot on the side. With all that had been going on, no one had noticed it. None of the Meow Meet-up guests had shown any interest in the computers, having brought their own laptops and tablets. Nora pulled up the contents of the drive on screen. There was one file on the thumb drive labeled “Sunshine Brigade”. Nora opened up the file to find a collection of pictures and a Word document.” Nora started going through the pictures and brought them up to full screen. The file was a collection of pictures of young people wearing fringed vests and holding signs protesting war. There were Volkswagen vans with peace signs and flowers painted on the side. The young people had long, stringy hair and most of the men wore unkempt beards. One young woman in the picture was dancing around in a leather fringed vest, a string of flowers in her hair. Why would Alan Shaw be interested in such an old story? The Vietnam War protests hadn’t been news for fifty years. Maybe it was a story he was working on after he finished investigating Evangeline?

  Izzy gasped and pointed to the screen and then whispered. “There she is.”

  “Who?”

  Izzy turned back to the desk to make sure the hotel guests were not watching them, “Evangeline. She was part of the Sunshine Brigade?”

  “How are you getting that? She’s about the right age to be a flower child but a lot of people looked like that in the 60s. Tatty and Ed met at Woodstock, for goodness’ sake.”

  “What do you know about the Sunshine Brigade?” Izzy asked as she stepped back and folded her arms.