Home Sweet Murder

by Eliza Brookes

  “We are booked full for the scrap-booking workshop. A whole week of intense scrap-booking.”

  “Look, can you please stop saying that?” Allegra asked, starting to feel annoyed.

  “What?” he asked, looking confused.

  “Sky diving is intense, rock climbing is intense, why?” Allegra ranted loudly, “because if you get it wrong, you can die. Scrap booking, the art of gluing things to paper, is not intense!” A couple walking up the stairs stopped to glare at her and Ray looked like she had just insulted his mother.

  “I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” he grumbled, glaring at her angrily. “I still need you to vacate the room. We are fully booked.”

  “Are you sure?” Allegra asked desperately, “There’s nowhere else to stay in town.”

  “I’m sure,” he said primly, still glaring at her. She sighed and nodded at him before turning away to begin packing.

  A few minutes later, she was out in the street with her backpack. She was used to moving from place to place, so she packed lightly. But this time felt different. She knew that if she didn’t find a place to stay soon, she would have to leave. She found that the thought of leaving the little town made her feel sad. Although her great-aunt wasn’t here anymore, she still had a lot to do. If she was being honest with herself, she wondered how easy it would be to leave once they found the murderer.

  “Well, this is a sorry sight,” a deep voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see Jason strolling toward her. He was sporting a slight stubble today, making him look more mature and highlighting the contours of his chiseled jawline.

  “Not as sorry as your face,” she mumbled half-heartedly.

  “Very mature,” he said smirking, raising an eyebrow. He reached out and ruffled her hair, grinning when she glared at him.

  “I’ve been kicked out,” she admitted forlornly, looking at the Inn. A few days ago, she had turned her nose up at it, but now she wished she could get a few more days. She knew she had to leave eventually, but her mind had been so wrapped up in what was going on that she completely forgot about finding a place to stay.

  “What did you do?” Jason joked, nudging her arm in an attempt to cheer her up.

  “I insulted scrap-booking,” she admitted, shaking her head at her rash actions. Jason let out a low whistle and shook his head.

  “Yeah, that would do it. Ray lives for scrap-booking.”

  “This is the type of information you tell a person before they insult the inn keeper,” Allegra chastised, pulling on the straps of her backpack.

  “What are you going to do now?” Jason asked sympathetically, “Are you going to leave again?” Allegra gave him a strange look and stared at the Inn thoughtfully.

  “I don’t want to leave yet,” she told him. His face relaxed into a surprised smile, but she was too absorbed in her own thoughts to see his grin.

  “What about Greta?” he asked.

  “I’ve thought about that, but that would only be a temporary solution,” Allegra explained, “I don’t want to impose on them. Besides, I don’t know how long it will be until we find the murderer.”

  “That pesky murderer,” Jason joked, he wondered if it would be strange to ask if she wanted to stay with him. “It’s a shame that Dot didn’t leave the house to you. It’s just standing there now.”

  Allegra’s whole face brightened up and she looked up at him with a mischievous smile.

  “What?” he asked, feeling bewildered.

  “I was just wondering if you would mind driving me somewhere?”

  “Where?” he asked suspiciously. He knew that smile. That smile was what got him into trouble every single summer until he was sixteen. She only smiled like that when she had an idea, and Allegra’s ideas were always dangerous.

  “Do you trust me?” she asked, still smiling mischievously.

  “No,” he replied simply. She gave him a wounded look and he sighed. “All right, let’s go. But if I get arrested again our friendship is over.”

  “You know, life must have been so boring before I showed up,” she told him simply.

  “This is such a bad idea,” he told her simply when they arrived at Dot’s estate.

  “No,” she told him, ignoring the nerves fluttering in her stomach, “you were right. It’s just standing there. Besides, I’ve contested the will, so Ellie and Ashlee can’t sell it yet. It’s just sitting there, and best of all- it’s free.”

  “Yeah, but if you get caught, you could go to jail. For real this time.”

  “You know, old age has made you soft, Jason.”

  “No, it’s made me responsible, Allegra. Look, you can come stay with me. I’ll take the couch.” Allegra smiled at him before hopping out of his truck and making her way to the house. “This is a bad idea,” he continued, following her up the path.

  “I am not letting you sleep on a couch when there are several perfectly good beds in the house,” Allegra explained, making her way round to the back door.

  “I don’t mind taking the couch,” he argued, trying not to trip over several overgrown plants. The house had not been lived in for a few weeks now, but the garden had been neglected for a little while before that as well. Dot was too sick to go outside and too stingy to hire a gardener. The result was a jungle-like garden and small animals creating homes in the jungle. Jason tried to keep his balance, but the effort slowed him down while the petite Allegra plowed through the garden like a seasoned explorer.

  “You might not mind now, but you’ll sing a different tune as soon as your back hurts. No one will bother me if I stay here,” she explained, keeping her voice low in case someone heard them. “Besides, this is a perfect solution. Grumpy Dot would have liked it.”

  “That is not always a good thing,” he reminded her, “she was just as much trouble as you are.”

  “I’m glad to know I’m filling a need,” she quipped, removing a pin from her hair. By the time he finally caught up with her, she had already picked the lock and was stepping inside.

  “This seems so wrong,” he whispered.

  The house was starting to smell musty and the dust was settling all over the appliances. Someone had cleaned a little since the last time they were there but had then left it. It was clean, but empty. Allegra felt a small twinge in her heart. It did not feel right without Dot there.

  “Hey,” Jason said suddenly, “I thought you said no one was staying here.”

  “I did,” Allegra said cautiously, walking up to him. He looked at her with wide eyes and gestured toward a handbag and a bunch of keys on the table. Allegra sucked in a sharp breath when they heard the sound of footsteps. They looked toward the backdoor, but the steps were coming closer. Thinking quickly, Jason grabbed her arm and pulled her into the pantry.

  They closed the door just in time to hear heels clicking on the kitchen tiles. Allegra felt her heart speed up and looked at Jason in panic. If it was Ashlee they were both in trouble. The heels stopped, and Allegra felt her hands begin to shake. Jason instinctively put an arm around her and looked at the pantry door with a frown.

  The heels walked again and they could hear the sound of the backdoor being pulled closed. Allegra put a hand over her mouth to keep her breathing quiet. It felt like they were trapped in a horror movie. The heels moved again, a little more slowly this time. Allegra looked around them, but there was no way out of the pantry.

  They heard the sound of a cupboard opening. Then it shut. She felt a bead of sweat begin to develop at her hairline and she moved to wipe it away. The sudden motion caused Jason to move his arm, and he accidently knocked over a plastic dish. It tipped over and hit her shoulder and she tensed up to keep it in place. He frowned apologetically and reached around her to pick it up. His fingers brushed the container and he managed to push it up. She leaned back to help him and together they managed to get it upright. Allegra felt herself smile in relief and he had to hide a small chuckle.

  They were so distracted by this that they didn’t hea
r the sound of heels walking up to the pantry. Or the sound of someone pulling at the handle. They did, however, hear the sound of a gasp and someone taking a step back.

  Allegra looked up to see a woman she didn’t recognize. The woman was tall and thin, with her black, almost grey streaked hair pulled back into a severe style. Her skin, although it was as dark as Jason’s, turned pale and she took another step back.

  “Eleanor?” Jason asked in confusion. Her eyes met his and widened. Then, without a word, she took off running. Jason frowned and followed her. Allegra chased after the two of them, not noticing when the container they had moved, fell to the ground, spilling white powder all over the floor.

  “Eleanor, wait!” He yelled, running as fast as he could. Eleanor had just made it to the front door, but he was faster, and he slammed it shut before she could get it open wide enough to escape.

  “No!” she gasped, trying to turn around, but she nearly ran into Allegra.

  “Easy now,” Allegra said soothingly, “it’s okay.” Eleanor looked around like a trapped animal before deflating slightly. Allegra held onto her arm in case she tried to run again, and Jason kept the door closed, watching her closely.

  “Why are you running, Eleanor?” Jason asked kindly. The older woman looked terrified and was shaking like a leaf.

  “What are you doing in my great-aunt’s house?” Allegra asked, not unkindly, but allowing her confusion to shine through. Eleanor said nothing but continued to shake slightly.

  “She works here,” Jason explained. He reached out and gently took hold of her arm. She flinched, and he looked at her in concern.

  “Let’s make you a cup of tea,” Allegra said kindly, patting her arm gently.

  “No!” Eleanor cried, wrenching herself away from them and moving toward one of the couches. She sat down timidly and rubbed her hands together.

  “Why not?” Allegra asked suspiciously.

  “I’m so sorry,” she mumbled, looking haunted. Jason and Allegra looked at each other with surprise, “I didn’t mean to.”

  “What do you mean?” Allegra asked, sitting across from the distressed woman on the old coffee table.

  “I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t.”

  “Eleanor,” Jason said softly, he sank down to a squat next to her and took her hand in his, “what are you talking about?” Eleanor looked at him with wide eyes. Her mouth trembled like she was about to cry, and she looked down at her shaking hands.

  “Dot,” Eleanor whispered. Allegra leaned forward to catch the words and Jason looked concerned, “I’m the reason,” Eleanor continued, her voice choked with tears, “that she’s dead.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “I don’t understand,” Allegra said slowly, pacing the length of the living room. Jason was sitting close to Eleanor, holding her hand as she sat with tears streaming down her face. “You believe that you should have known that someone was poisoning Dot, which is why you blame yourself for her death?”

  “I should have known she was being poisoned,” Eleanor explained, clutching a handkerchief to her face, “Dot never got sick. I called the doctors as soon as I could, but it was too late. She hated it when people pitied her, because of the asthma. She was sick for a week before she let me call the doctor. A month later, she was gone!” Jason patted her hand sympathetically and looked up at Allegra. She was still pacing, chewing on her thumb nail.

  “Don’t blame yourself,” Jason said soothingly, he looked out of his element, like he didn’t know what to say. Eleanor burst into tears at his words and he looked at Allegra with a frightened look on his face.

  “Is that why you came back? To see if you could find the poison?” Allegra asked curiously, ignoring Jason’s panicked glances as she continued crying. Eleanor let out a shaky breath and nodded vigorously.

  “Yes,” Eleanor admitted, “I was trying to think what it could be, but nothing came to mind. I was going to call the police to come check, but I got scared.”

  “Why were you scared?” Allegra asked softly, sitting down on the edge of the coffee table again.

  “I don’t want them to think I did it,” Eleanor admitted. Allegra sat back slowly, lost in thought. It looked as though Eleanor had not slept in days. Her face was puffy from crying and she was genuinely sad about losing Dot. She did not look like a murderer, but to be fair, Allegra did not know what a murderer looked like.

  “The police have already swept the house,” Allegra told her, “when they realized it was a murder they came to take pictures, get fingerprints and they took a sample of everything in the kitchen to test for poison.”

  “Did they find it?” Eleanor asked eagerly, her voice sounding stronger.

  “No, there was nothing in the kitchen.” Eleanor nodded sadly and wiped her nose with the handkerchief. She looked around her as if she was lost and shook her head.

  “Why would anyone want to hurt Dot?” Eleanor asked, bewildered. Allegra shrugged and looked down at her hands. The entire situation seemed so backwards and wrong. Being back in the house brought all the memories to her mind, and she found that she was having a hard time keeping her emotions in check. She could understand why Eleanor couldn’t stop crying.

  “I don’t know,” Allegra admitted with a sad smile, “but we’re going to find out.” Eleanor reached forward and grabbed Allegra’s hand, smiling comfortingly at her, as if she could tell how Allegra was feeling. Allegra smiled back, it was nice having someone who understood.

  “Well now, I will go make us a cup of tea,” Eleanor said, looking stronger than she had before. Jason sighed in relief as she got up, he sank back into the couch and put his hands behind his head. “Hold on,” Eleanor said slowly, turning back to face them, “why were you hiding in the pantry?”

  Allegra and Jason shared panicked looks as the older woman folded her arms and gave them a stern look.

  “Eleanor, this is Allegra,” Jason introduced, but Eleanor waved him away, focusing instead on Allegra.

  “I know who you are, but why were you hiding in the pantry with this man?” she gestured toward Jason who blushed slightly.

  “I’m not supposed to be here,” Allegra admitted sheepishly, “The will they found left the house to Ashlee and Ellie. I just didn’t have anywhere to stay.”

  “Which will?” Eleanor asked looking confused.

  “The one they read at the memorial service, before we knew Dot was murdered,” Allegra explained.

  “No, no,” Eleanor protested, “I wasn’t there. I was on holiday. I know what Dot wanted, I witnessed her signing the will. She left everything to you and a small gift for me.” Allegra stood up abruptly, a flash of warmth flowing through her. Grumpy Dot had not forgotten about her.

  “Do you know what this means?” Allegra gasped.

  “The will was forged,” Jason answered somberly, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees.

  “If we find whoever forged the will, we will find the murderer,” Allegra summarized again, “I knew something was wrong, I just knew it!”

  “I’m going to talk to that lawyer man,” Eleanor decided, grabbing her coat and walking to the kitchen, “he has to let you stay here.”

  “No, wait,” Allegra called after the housekeeper, “I want to ask you some questions!” But it was too late, the fiery woman had walked out of the house, determined to set things right again. Allegra looked over at Jason who was smiling at the situation. “I wish I could get people around here to focus on one thing at a time,” she grumbled, fishing in her pocket for her phone.

  “Hey,” Jason protested, “I’m focused!” Allegra ignored him as she sorted through her messages. They were mostly from Greta who was wondering where she was, everyone in town knew she had been kicked out of the Inn. She skipped through those messages to find one from Matty.

  “Matty needs to talk to me,” Allegra said out loud, wondering what was so urgent.

  “I thought we needed to focus on one thing at a time,” Jason pointed out, looking
slightly annoyed. Allegra put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

  “It could be about the murder case,” she reminded him primly.

  “As if he needed an excuse,” Jason muttered, getting up from the couch and walking to the door.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, looking confused.

  “To take you to the police station,” he told her, opening the door and gesturing for her to go first.

  “That’s not necessary,” she told him, feeling a little embarrassed.

  “I disagree,” Jason said happily, “I feel like Sherlock Holmes.”

  ***

  Allegra felt like a criminal the moment she walked into the police station. Not because she had done anything wrong, besides breaking into her great-aunt’s house, but because everyone looked up at her when she walked in. They watched her like she was going to do something that would warrant a gossip session. This was not far-fetched if you considered her track record, but it still made her feel a little uncomfortable.

  “Matty!” she all but cried in relief when she saw his familiar mop of blonde hair. Matty turned around with a smile, which quickly turned into a scowl when he saw who she was with.

  “Allegra, Jason,” he greeted seriously, giving the receptionist the file, he had been holding in his hands, “what a surprise to see you.”

  “You told me to come,” Allegra reminded him. He flushed and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.

  “No, I know,” he said, looking embarrassed, “I was talking to Jason.”

  “Not really,” Jason admitted, looking amused, “I’ve been driving little Gypsy around all day.” He flicked a strand of her wavy brown hair, causing her to swat his hand away. Matty wore a tight smile during the entire exchange as his eyes moved between the two.

  “What did you want to talk about?” she asked him seriously, “did you guys find something?”

  “No,” Matty said apologetically, “but we are still looking. Don’t worry, the Cove’s finest are on the case!” Allegra nodded, but she could not help feeling a little disappointed. She knew that murder investigations took a long time, it was just that she was hoping they would find the murderer soon. It was hard to have realistic expectations when your entire life was on hold.