Styled for Murder

by Nancy J. Cohen

  A bump jarred her elbow. “Marla, is that you?” cried a familiar female voice.

  She spun to regard Jackie Petronis, the wife of one of Dalton’s colleagues. An ash-blond swirl of hair framed the woman’s petite face as she regarded Marla with a broad grin. She stood a good foot shorter than Marla’s five-foot-six-inch height.

  “Hey, Jackie, it’s nice to see you. Is Cabbie here?” Cabbie was her husband’s work nickname because he held the record for bringing in bad guys in the back of his patrol vehicle.

  “He’s over by the garden ornaments. How about Dalton? Is he with your son? I’d love to see the baby.”

  “They’re at the kid zone. My stylists just did the hair for the pageant contestants. Did you see the finale? The girls were spectacular.”

  “Sorry, I missed it. Hey, are you guys going to the Memorial Day picnic? I’m on the committee and didn’t see your names on the reservation list.”

  Marla frowned. “Dalton said he would contact Betsy about it. Maybe he forgot. I’ll remind him to get our tickets before the deadline.”

  “Okay. I’d thought maybe he didn’t want to come because—” Her cell phone rang, and she fumbled to answer. “Hi sweetie. Guess who I found wandering through the crowd? Marla and Dalton are here... Yup, I’ll be right there. Bye.”

  She gazed at Marla with regret. “I have to go. Charles needs my decision on a decoration for our front lawn. I already told him I liked the flamingo, but he’s not into it.”

  Jackie headed off before Marla could say farewell. What did she mean about Dalton not wanting to come to the police picnic? Nicole’s barbecue was that same weekend. Had he gotten the dates mixed up, thinking they were on the same day?

  They’d discuss it later. Meanwhile, she headed toward the kid’s play area, lost in thought until a scream ripped through the air. It seemed to come from the restroom vicinity only a few feet ahead.

  She loped in that direction, lugging her bags that got heavier by the minute. Upon rounding the corner of the facility that was roped off due to renovations, she halted with a gasp.

  Bradley Quinn lay on the ground, his body sprawled between the rear of the lavatory facility and a grove of bamboo trees. He stared up at the sky, a garlic garland wrapped around his neck.

  Marla clapped a hand to her mouth, bile rising in her stomach. No, this couldn’t be real. Unfortunately, the longer she stared, the longer the seconds ticked by, and Brad didn’t move.

  One of the guests, a matronly woman, must have been the person who’d screamed. From the pallor on her face, she looked about to topple over.

  Marla’s wits returned. “Did you call for help?” she asked, crouching to feel for a pulse. Nothing. Brad’s pupils were dilated, and his chest didn’t move.

  “No, I-I didn’t think of it. I was taking a shortcut to the exhibit area and came upon him lying there. Is he dead?”

  “It looks that way.” Marla straightened, took out her phone, and punched in the emergency code. As the dispatcher took her information, people hurried over.

  “What’s going on?” Dalton asked from behind.

  Marla almost swooned with relief. She disconnected the call and whirled around. Her husband’s appearance had an instant calming effect on her. “Where’s Ryder?” she croaked, her throat suddenly dry. She didn’t see his stroller anywhere.

  “Your mother is watching him. They’re looking at the flowers. What happened here?”

  “This lady walked by and found Brad on the ground. I was the next person to arrive. I couldn’t feel a pulse, so I called nine-one-one.”

  She stuck the phone in her purse and folded her arms across her chest to keep from trembling. This couldn’t be happening. Not here. Not now.

  “All right, people, move back. We need to secure the area. I’m with the police,” Dalton informed the crowd. He retrieved his phone, dialed a number, and barked orders at the recipient. “I’m going to be needed here,” he told Marla when done. “You’ll have to take Ryder home. I can get your formal statement later. Did you notice anyone else in the vicinity?”

  “I did.” The witness pointed a finger at the crowd. “I saw that fellow talking to the dead man earlier by the ice cream stand. I couldn’t hear what they said, but they both looked angry.”

  Shock turned Marla’s blood to ice. Reed stood there, a grim expression on his face as all eyes turned his way.

  The retired professor spread his hands. “Hey, I was only asking Brad when our bathroom might be finished. He wouldn’t give me a straight reply. If they weren’t going to complete the job, I wanted a refund.”

  Marla made a motion for him to zip his lips, but everyone had heard him. Dalton called him over. “Stand there, Reed. We’ll need to get a statement from you.” He addressed the witness. “Ma’am, did you notice anything else when you arrived?”

  “No, sir.” The lady clasped her hands together, a distraught expression on her face.

  Marla narrowed her eyes at the woman. Was she for real, or had someone paid her to implicate Reed? Maybe she’d seen him talking to Brad earlier or maybe not. But the woman wouldn’t risk getting caught in a lie on record, would she?

  If her testimony was genuine, how did Reed get there so fast? Had he heard the woman’s screams? And where were Ma and Ryder?

  She considered what it meant that Brad had a garlic garland wrapped around his neck. Somebody had put it there. With Pete in jail, another person had to have murdered Brad. Did the garland serve as a signature by the killer, like the tie around Jack’s neck? If so, what about Tobias, who’d died from carbon monoxide poisoning? Was he not part of the same cycle?

  Nothing could be determined until Brad’s exact means of death was recorded by the medical examiner. This homicide had landed in Dalton’s territory, meaning now he’d have a justifiable interest in Wanner’s cases. Perhaps they could finally share the details of their investigations.

  She scanned the grass, looking for clues. Footprints trampled the area, but probably lots of people had come this way. Dalton’s team would do a more thorough search.

  Festival officials arrived along with first aid personnel. The latter, once they’d determined their services weren’t needed, took charge of the witness who quivered in place. They managed to retrieve a folding chair and sat her on it.

  Marla thought of Caroline’s reaction when she heard the news. She’d be upset if she had truly cared for Brad.

  With the company president dead, what would happen to the firm? Had Brad named a successor in his estate documents?

  Davinia, as next of kin, might have that information. Dalton would have the sad duty of notifying the actress about her brother’s death.

  She got her husband’s permission to depart and left the scene. How would this news affect Ma? It was yet another blow to compound a series of traumatic events.

  She spied her mother pushing Ryder’s stroller on the concrete path among brightly colored flower beds. Nobody in this area seemed concerned. They must not have heard the commotion at the far end of the festival.

  “Marla, there you are,” Anita said upon spotting her. “Ryder adores the flowers. I have to stop him from picking them. How did the pageant go?”

  “The girls looked beautiful in their evening gowns. You would have enjoyed it.” She motioned to a nearby bench. “Listen, I have some news. Let’s sit a minute.”

  Marla was grateful to rest her arms from holding her bags. Anita joined her, turning the stroller around so they could see the baby. Marla spent a few minutes talking to her son, comforted by his tiny face. Her heart softened as his big round eyes peered at her.

  Wishing she could stay in the bubble, she pierced it to address the issue in front of them. “Something has happened,” she told her mother. “You’re not going to like it.”

  “Uh-oh. What now?”

  “I’m afraid Bradley Quinn has been found dead behind the restroom facility.”

  “What? Brad Quinn from the design center? Oh, my God.”


  “There’s more. A witness said she’d spotted Reed arguing with him earlier. Were you with him then?”

  “No, he said he was going to get some garlic ice cream.” Anita wrung her hands in her lap. “I don’t believe it. Why does this keep happening to us?” Her mouth trembled. “You don’t think Reed did it, do you?”

  Marla gazed at her aghast. “Ma, how can you say such a thing?” But even as she said it, her own doubts niggled at her.

  Anita shook her head. “I don’t know him anymore. I fear there’s more to his business with these design center people than he’s telling us.”

  Marla agreed but didn’t say so aloud. Instead, she patted Ma’s shoulder. “We need to have faith in him. He’s part of our family, and he’ll need our support now more than ever.”

  “You’re right, but we’ll be unsettled until this case is solved.”

  “You can come home with me and Ryder. Dalton will be stuck here for a while. He said he’d bring Reed back with him.”

  “Okay, we should get going. I’m exhausted.”

  Sirens sounded in the distance, coming closer. Marla stood and stuffed her bags into the back of the stroller. Her feet dragged as they headed toward the exit. She had to prepare Ryder’s next meal and entertain him at home while he expended his energy. Regardless of what happened, she couldn’t deviate from her routine.

  Anita trudged alongside her as guests fled to their cars. Word must have finally spread. Marla was grateful the pageant finale had taken place at least. Amelia and the other girls had deserved their moment of glory.

  Where had George gone after the award ceremony? Had he stayed with his daughter? Caroline had been on the grounds as well as Davinia and her manager. They’d all had a connection to Brad. Where had he gone after his brief encounter with Davinia’s manager?

  Dalton should speak to the people on either side of their company’s booth and across the aisle. They might have seen or heard something significant. He should also get a list of ticket holders and exhibitors, but he’d know to request these items from event organizers.

  Her thoughts tumbled and coagulated into a mental mass like a rubber band ball until Ryder’s whimper drew her attention.

  “Do you want some milk?” she asked. She withdrew his bottle from their baby care bag and handed it to him. He grabbed it eagerly and brought it to his mouth.

  Once they reached her car, Anita settled into the passenger seat without saying a word. Marla secured Ryder, got in the front, and started the engine. A welcome blast of air-conditioning cooled her skin.

  She didn’t feel like talking, either, so she focused on getting them home safe. There would be plenty of time to discuss things later. Maybe Anita and Reed should stay the night. That is, if Reed didn’t end up at police headquarters as a murder suspect.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Reed came home along with Dalton, and he and Anita accepted the invitation to stay the night. They were both too sapped of energy to drive to Boynton Beach. Besides, Dalton needed Reed to come into the station on Monday morning to give a formal statement.

  Marla felt better about keeping her mother under her watchful eye. Anita was nervous enough already, and this latest incident would only make matters worse.

  The next day, nobody spoke about the elephant in the room. Anita and Reed delighted in Ryder’s antics as Marla got the baby dressed and fed. She hustled him into her car to take him to daycare, promising to call Anita later.

  The older couple planned to stop by Dalton’s office so Reed could sign his statement before they headed home. They’d leave the house at the same time as Dalton and follow him there.

  Marla ran errands until Dalton texted her that he was done with Reed, and she should head over to the station. It was her turn to state her observations for the record.

  “I don’t have much to add,” Marla told her husband, seated alone with him in his office. “I heard screams and rushed over to the site where Brad lay on the ground. The lady who’d raised the ruckus was there and no one else.”

  Dalton adjusted his recorder to catch her words. “Please describe your observations when you noticed the victim.”

  Marla cleared her throat. “Bradley Quinn lay face-up on the ground with a garlic garland wrapped around his neck. He was unresponsive and had no pulse. I called nine-one-one.”

  “To your knowledge, was anyone else present at the festival who knew the deceased?”

  Marla named Reed, George, Caroline, Davinia and Oscar. “They were all there, but I didn’t see any of them near Brad. Well, that is, until Reed showed up.”

  She answered more questions, growing more uncomfortable by the minute, until Dalton shut off his device.

  As the tension in her shoulders relaxed, she surveyed the wilted plant on his windowsill, the dust on his bookshelves, and the stack of papers on top of his file cabinet. Usually he kept things fairly neat. Why did she get the impression he was letting things slide? Was work so overwhelming that he couldn’t be bothered to straighten up?

  “If I could speak to Amelia again,” Marla told him off the record, “I might ask if George had stayed by her side. She would have been occupied with her duties as garlic queen, and he could have wandered off.”

  “It’s best if you steer clear of the granite yard,” Dalton said, his eyes boring into hers. “I’ll be following up with these people from now on.”

  Marla mulled over the suspects. “I doubt Caroline did it. There’s no way she could have lured Brad behind the restrooms and snapped his neck, if that’s how he died.” She gazed at her husband with a coaxing smile, hoping he’d confirm the manner of death.

  Dalton tightened his mouth. “We know Pete Ferdinand isn’t guilty. He’s in jail. Maybe Wanner got the wrong man.”

  “If so, the evidence against him must have been planted,” Marla pointed out.

  “I sent Wanner a text to call me. Hopefully, he’ll get back to me sooner rather than later.” Dalton drummed his fingers on the desk pad. “Nadia and Caroline from the design center staff seem unlikely as suspects, but I can’t eliminate them entirely.”

  “Why not? Nadia wasn’t even there yesterday.”

  “Yes, but she had a boyfriend. Maybe she lied and didn’t break up with him.”

  “And then what? She enlisted the guy’s help to do away with Jack when he threatened to contact her ex-spouse?” Marla scoffed. “And then she did the same for Brad? She had no motive for knocking off her boss.”

  “We’ll see.” Dalton’s brows drew together. “George Eustice is still at the top of my list. He had reason to eliminate Jack to protect his daughter.”

  Marla had told him what Amelia said about her dad’s confrontation with Jack. It could be as the girl explained. The men had an angry clash and ... Wait, didn’t Amelia say George had something on Jack to make him back off?

  My dad knew things that could get Jack in trouble, and Dad threatened to expose him if Jack didn’t leave me alone.

  She repeated these words to Dalton. “George could have known about the copper thefts and that Jack was doing it again,” she suggested.

  “That’s possible. If Amelia told the truth, her dad left Jack when he was still alive. But that doesn’t let George off the hook for Brad’s murder. They’d been business partners. Perhaps there was still bad blood between them, and it boiled over.”

  Could they be dealing with two different killers? Marla voiced her idea aloud. “It would help if you could track Brad’s history. George might be willing to supply more details now that the man is dead. Otherwise, have you given any more thought to Lenny Brooks? The tile guy claimed he’d gotten stuck in traffic and arrived late the day of Jack’s death, but he was the one who found the body. And Brad’s company owed him money.”

  “I’ll take another look at the timing, but there’s lack of motive where Brooks is concerned.” He glanced at his watch. “What’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?”

  Marla got his signal. Time for her to leave. She
collected her purse and rose, wondering why something about his workplace continued to bother her.

  “I figured I’d visit Davinia to return her bracelet. Do you have her address and phone number? I’d like to text her first to make sure she’ll be there.”

  “What bracelet?” Dalton picked up a pen from his desk and twirled it in his fingers.

  “I found a diamond tennis bracelet in the grass right after we met. I’d introduced myself once the pageant was over. Davinia’s manager hustled her off for an interview, and I didn’t see them again.”

  She frowned as a memory surfaced. “I did observe Brad talking to Oscar earlier. According to Caroline, he left the booth to go say hello to his sister. I saw him approach when she sat at the judge’s table, but Oscar stopped him. They had a brief exchange that made them both look angry. Brad stomped off in the opposite direction.”

  “That makes two people who had words with Brad the day he died.”

  Right, Marla thought. That would be Reed as well as Oscar.

  Her pulse thrummed. If Oscar became a suspect, this could provide a new angle to pursue that led away from her stepfather.

  “I’ll see if I can get Davinia to elaborate on Oscar’s relationship to Brad,” she offered.

  “Her brother just died. It might be wise for you to wait.”

  “She’ll be upset about losing this bracelet. It must have cost a fortune, assuming the stones are real.” Marla dug the item from her purse and showed it to Dalton. “I know she’s mourning her brother’s loss, but it’ll bring her a measure of relief to get this back.”

  He shook his head. “It’s best for you to stay away until I’ve done my interviews.”

  “Is it? You know Davinia will be more willing to talk to me, and returning her jewelry gives me the perfect excuse.”

  “You do make a convincing argument.” Dalton’s lips twisted in wry acknowledgement as he wrote down the actress’s address and phone number.