Murder in March

by Camilla Chafer

  I left the tape on pause, rolled my shoulders, stretched my arms and pursed my lips in deep thought. Everything seemed so normal on screen. Esther didn't look worried in any way or act threatened. Instead, her mannerisms reflected her usual brusque self. Except for several short interactions, I hadn't seen her with anyone so far, but there were plenty of places the cameras didn't cover. What if someone knocked on her bedroom door? Or ran into her at the restaurant? I wouldn't see any of that on the tape.

  Even though I was frustrated by what I couldn't see, I made another coffee and slipped a frozen meal into the microwave, taking both upstairs, and settling in to watch more camera footage. Esther only had a few hours left on the tape and I had to find a clue in the remaining time.

  I ate my meal, barely registering the flavors as I concentrated on watching Esther and Mark in the lobby. Esther enjoyed flailing her arms around, jabbing her forefinger and tossing her head from side-to-side. It was like watching a overly energetic mime, especially in double time. Mark was the polar opposite. His movements were gentle and considerate. During one particularly energetic flailing of Esther’s arms, he just sat back, crossing his arms and letting Esther get on with it. To my untrained eye, that wasn't the kind of resigned attitude a crazed knife murderer would adopt. He was too patient and too calm.

  When the time stamp showed almost five pm, Esther and Mark both got to their feet. Esther scooped up her bags and walked over to the stairs. Mark looked up at the ceiling and appeared to mutter something before heading to the bar.

  Janey said she spotted Esther in the employee stairwell around five o'clock. Cameras didn't cover every angle of the stairwell or the various exits. I followed Esther as she reached the landing; then lost her when she headed to her bedroom. A few minutes later, she appeared on another camera. I paused it, trying to figure out exactly where it was. The wall behind her seemed to match the corridor. She waved her hands and gestured wildly at someone I couldn't see. The angry exchange lasted for several minutes then Esther threw her head back and laughed derisively. She sneered and said something, then tossed her head and stalked off. I waited for someone to emerge after her but no one did.

  Where had the other person gone? They must have exited from the employee stairwell somewhere. I slowed the playback, scouring each camera. Janey reappeared from the stairwell in the lobby. She smoothed her skirt and stepped out of the way as a man came out from behind her. They gave each other a long look before she hurried over to the concierge desk, adjusting the buttons on her blouse. Well, that was interesting! Janey hadn't mentioned any man in her encounter.

  Thirty seconds later, Dina Preston appeared on the camera that covered the rear exit door. She strode purposefully past the exit and through a door at the end, possibly her office. She might not have met Esther, but she must have heard her in the stairwell!

  A couple of minutes later, a man left the same exit Esther was standing in. He wore an employee uniform, but who was he?

  I continued watching until one more person exited the stairwell by the corridor at the top, a guest who appeared to have pilfered a large amount of tiny bottles. No one else appeared in the next few minutes.

  Five people in total had exited the stairwell close to the time of Esther’s recorded conversation. One of them was a thief. But was one of them also a murderer?

  Chapter Fifteen

  By the time I finished viewing the footage, it was close to midnight and I was exhausted. I fell into bed, sinking into a dream-filled sleep of shadowy figures, all of whom were brandishing sharp knives. When I woke up, I was weary from fighting off my imaginary intruders.

  I checked my cellphone while I ate a breakfast of toast and honey, but there weren't any messages from Mark or Detective Logan. I wondered what, if anything, had happened overnight. Had Mark been locked in the cell? Or given the VIP fake-arrest treatment, whatever that might be? Mark and Sam looked like they were getting along pretty well but that didn't mean the situation remained the same. What if someone had tried to frame Mark again, and this time, they succeeded?

  No, that couldn't be possible. I had all of Mark's things stowed in the hall closet and would have known if someone tried to enter my house. I always set the alarm in the night. Not that I'd ever been excessively worried since Calendar was usually a very safe town, but I lived alone in a big, old house and I knew that gave my family some concern. The alarm was originally my concession towards stopping everyone else from worrying, but I had to admit, it reassured me a little bit too.

  I spent an hour combing the first chapter of my romance manuscript, following Esther's direction to add more description and passion. I would never know if my revisions met her expectations but someone was certain to take up where she left off, and Mark would undoubtedly want a progress report. By the time I hit the save icon, I couldn't concentrate anymore. All I could think about was the video footage. I had seen plenty in the videotape that concerned me, but nothing that I could actually present to Detective Logan. Even though I observed five people exiting the stairwell within minutes of Esther, none of them was ever actually on camera with her. Any one of them could have gone up or down the stairs or left by a different exit.

  Perhaps a walk would temporarily distract me from all the possibilities and allow me to clear my head so I could think with better clarity.

  My mind made up, I closed the laptop and headed downstairs.

  The walk to Main Street did manage to clear the small headache that began building, but I was no nearer to any answers by the time I found myself in front of Sparkes' Bookstore. The little train pleasantly chugged around the children's display where Holly had added some new picture books and the latest adventure novels. I watched the little train for few nostalgic moments before I moved over to the other display. All my recent books had disappeared but many of the older ones remained. That was not too puzzling. Surely Holly wanted to sell the newer books. Out of curiosity, I decided to go inside.

  Holly was perched on a tall chair behind the cashier's desk. She looked up and smiled. "Hi, Ava!"

  "Hi, Holly!"

  "If you changed your mind about the Miranda Marchmont novel, I'll have to put you on the waiting list for the next delivery. We sold out!"

  I blinked. "Every copy? You had so many!"

  "Every. Single. One." Holly beamed. She reached for a stack of envelopes and searched the counter for a letter opener. "Word got around that she lives in town and everyone came in to get a copy. I think they're looking for anything that might identify her, or see if they recognize themselves or someone else in the novel." Holly laughed.

  "You're kidding?" That couldn't be true. I didn't know whether to feel amused or alarmed. Not once had I ever based a character on someone in my own town. The very thought was ludicrous.

  "I wish I were. I feel awful for saying it but the murder has really intrigued everyone. Since that poor lady was Miranda's agent, everyone expects her to surface soon. I don't suppose you could shed any light on that? You also knew the lady that was killed."

  "I did and I wish I could help, but I’m afraid I can't. I'm just a virtual assistant," I added, tossing out the old, familiar lie.

  "Maybe all the gossip scared her off?" Holly shrugged as she continued to open the envelopes. "Now if only I could get her in for a book signing, I could really prove to my family that I can drag this old bookstore right into this century."

  "You're already doing that," I told her as I looked around. "The new window displays are great and is that new stationery?"

  "Yes, it is." Holly hopped off her stool and I followed her over to the revolving stand. She plucked a couple items and passed them to me. "There's a lady in town who makes these. She does all the calligraphy and the illustrations for the occasion cards and all the printing for the stationery packs. Aren't they pretty?"

  "They are," I agreed as I turned the cards over, admiring the lovely script and colors. "I think I'll take a few. I love to give a pretty card for birthdays." I selected severa
l because it was too hard to choose between them and paid for them at the desk. Holly slipped them into a bag along with a bookmark that advertised the bookstore and I paid. I gave her a wave as I left and promised to drop in again soon.

  Although I was pleased with my impromptu purchase, it reminded me that I needed to select a condolence card to send to Esther's husband. I didn't want Derrick to think I'd forgotten about him and I knew he'd appreciate it. So far, I'd hesitated in calling him but I wondered now if I should. Even though they didn't have children, I hoped he had some family and friends to comfort him during his bereavement. I resolved to call him later. It would feel good to pay my respects to him personally and inquire about the funeral arrangements. I also hoped he might be able to give me some insight as to whom Esther might have run into while in Calendar, since she clearly hadn't enjoyed the encounter. I had no doubt Detective Logan had already spoken to him, but there might have been some other information Derrick didn't think was important that he could give to me. Considering everyone who knew Esther, he was the best person to ask if she had a secret connection to this town. Esther must have confided to him. I decided I would call him as soon as I got home.

  Until then, I still needed to speak to Janey, Dina, Jake the bellhop, and the two unidentified men in the video. Detective Logan hadn't complained when I flouted his direct order to stay away from the hotel yesterday since I explained the circumstances of Mark's eviction. But I was sure he wouldn't be too pleased if I went back for no apparent purpose today. As I strolled along, I thought hard on it, wondering if Janey had mentioned where she lived. She seemed friendly enough and I was sure she wouldn't think anything of my dropping by. It was a small town, we were of similar age, and people visited each other all the time.

  Just as I decided to check the phonebook to find her, I almost crashed into a woman exiting the deli, a cake box in her hands. "I am so sorry," she said, stumbling backwards. "I wasn't looking where I was going. Oh, hi, Ava!"

  "Janey!" I could only beam at my good luck.

  "Did I stand on your feet? I am such a klutz!" She grimaced as she looked down at our feet but I waved away her concern.

  "Not at all. That's a big box."

  "It's a cheesecake for my grandmother's birthday. She said she's had enough layer cakes in her lifetime and this time she wanted cheesecake. The deli made it special. Want to take a look?" I nodded and Janey eased back the lid of the cardboard box. A large, vanilla cheesecake had "Happy Birthday Grandma Tansy!" in edible icing and a cluster of flower petals. "The petals are edible too," Janey continued. "Isn't it pretty?"

  "Very. In fact, it's beautiful. I'm sure your grandmother will be thrilled."

  Janey smiled at my comments and started to unbalance again. I reached out for the box so it didn't upend on the sidewalk. "Let me take some of those bags," I told her. Helping her out would also help me since I could take the time to ask her a few questions.

  "Oh, thank you. My car is right over there." She nodded toward a blue Toyota parked a couple of spaces away.

  I took the two grocery bags while Janey carried the cake box and we walked over to her car. She beeped it open and I unloaded the bags onto the back seat while she put the box on the front seat and grimaced. "Do you think it will stay put? Or should I belt it in?" she wondered.

  "I think you'll be fine so long as you don't drive like you're in a drag race."

  Janey giggled. "I'll take that as a yes. I hope Mr. Boudreaux is all right? I feel really bad about yesterday."

  "He was fine when I saw him yesterday but I haven't heard anything today. You don't have to feel bad. It wasn't your decision."

  "I know. Dina was very insistent, but..." She paused, chewing her lower lip.

  "What?" I prompted.

  "Well, Dina said some of the other guests were frightened Mr. Boudreaux was a killer but I never heard anyone suggest anything like that. I hope she's just being overly cautious. She's such a good boss."

  "Perhaps someone mentioned it to the other employees and it got back to her?"

  "I suppose so, but we all chat and no one said anything. I'm sure I would have heard about it. I guess Dina is just being extra protective. The hotel is her whole life and she wouldn't want anyone to find it unseemly."

  "Have you known her long?"

  "Oh, for a few years. She started working there long before I did. Actually, she gave me the job after I'd been out of work for a while. I quit working when I had my boys and after I got divorced three years ago, I badly needed an income; but unfortunately, I'm not qualified to do very much. Dina offered me a job at a time when no one else would."

  "That was awfully nice of her."

  "It really was. She told me she remembered what it was like to need a break. Truthfully, she has no idea what a huge difference that job made for me. I'm even taking a night class in hotel management now thanks to her support and encouragement. I’ll get my diploma next year."

  "She does sound like a very good boss."

  "She is. I'm glad she took the day off today. She works too hard."

  "Janey," I started, but hesitated while seeking a good way to ask her about the moment in the stairwell with the man. I figured it would be easier to come directly out with it. "Do you remember when you told me that you overheard Esther arguing with someone on the stairwell?"

  "Yes, that's right. She sounded very cross."

  "It occurred to me after you showed Mark and me how the security cameras worked that the police would most likely go through the videotape and pay a lot of attention to that moment."

  "Yes, I suppose they would."

  "Is there anything else you can think of that might be important around that time? Anyone else you might have seen? Or been in the company of?" I tried to be as tactful as I could. I didn't want to embarrass Janey but figured it would probably be a lot worse if the question came from Detective Logan. If she told me who the man was, I could ensure she wasn't tempted to lie to Logan.

  "I don't think... oh. Oh!" Janey’s cheeks colored red and her eyes widened.

  "Were you in the company of someone who works at the hotel?" I asked.

  "Yes, I... I was," she stammered as she stared at the floor.

  "Perhaps you were a little preoccupied. Is that why you didn't know who Esther argued with?" I pressed gently.

  Janey hid her face in her palm. "I feel so embarrassed," she muttered when she looked up. "Oh, you're going to get the wrong impression of me."

  "I'm sure I won't."

  "I've been seeing someone and we work together, and like I said, I've got kids, so we're not broadcasting it, but we ran into each other and he... he playfully pulled me into the store room to make out. Just for a few minutes! I felt like a teenager again! If Dina found out, however, she would probably fire me for being so unprofessional!" The words spilled out in a rush and Janey maintained her red hue.

  "I won't tell her, and I'm sure Detective Logan won't either," I assured her. "Who, may I ask, is your mystery man?"

  Janey bit back a smile. "Tim Mills. He's one of the chefs. He's very sweet but this is all new for me."

  "How long have you been together?"

  "Just a couple months." Janey's redness faded into a happy pink glow as she smiled.

  "Well, I think he's a lucky man, and you can tell him I said so."

  This time, Janey looked pleased rather than embarrassed. "You don't think I'm silly? Dating so soon after divorce?"

  "No, I think you're brave and you deserve to have a good time. My parents are divorced and both of them found lovely new partners, so it can work out."

  "And you weren't horribly scared off by it all? I'm not sure what my boys will think."

  "I love both my stepparents and bear no scars. The adults didn't always get on, but everyone was always kind to me and my brothers."

  "I might have to pick your brains on how to proceed."

  "Any time. We could go for lunch one day?" I suggested, suddenly feeling emboldened. I liked Janey and felt re
lieved she was the least likely to be engaged in the angry conversation with Esther. Tim Mills would be able to confirm that. Not that I suspected her, especially given that she mentioned the angry words first, but it was good to have it confirmed.

  "I'd like that. That's very sweet of you, Ava."

  "I don't think you were the only people in the stairwell," I said, steering the conversation back to that tape. "It's amazing you weren't seen, and didn't see the other people there."

  "I was mostly concentrating on getting back to my desk before we got caught. I heard the shouts and recognized Esther's voice, but it ended so quickly that I didn't think anymore of it. Should I go directly to the police station? I should probably tell the detective that Tim was there too."

  "I'm sure Detective Logan will be in touch if he needs to speak to you again. Do you think you'd recognize any of the other people from that videotape?"

  "The employees? Definitely. The guests? Maybe."

  "I overheard there was a man stealing supplies. He's very thin and has long sideburns and a moustache," I said, describing the man I saw on the security tape.

  "Oh, that's the guest in three-nineteen. He's been staying with us a week and housekeeping caught him stealing twice. We're just turning a blind eye to it."

  "Why is that?"

  "He stays with us twice a year and spends a lot of money. He's never any trouble but he does like to help himself to extra items from the mini bar and bathroom."

  "Do you know where he was when Esther was killed?"

  "Oh, surely you don't think he would... No, he couldn't! I remember now. He hosted a dinner in the restaurant that night for ten people and didn't leave the restaurant until after Esther’s body was found. I think Detective Logan interviewed him already."

  "That's great." I mentally ticked the man off the list. His alibi was solid, according to Janey and possibly Logan too.