by Judi Lynn
Ansel nodded. “And if Ray was involved somehow, someone might think he hid it, too. The couch in Donovan’s apartment came from his parents, right?”
“Oh, jeez. Donovan wouldn’t have even known it was there if that’s what happened.”
Ansel nodded to her phone. “You might want to call Gaff again.”
After she explained their idea and hung up, she said, “He’s going to look into it.”
When they sat down to eat, they both felt a little cheerier. Maybe they’d get lucky and Gaff would get a break on this case. Hopefully before anything happened to Donovan’s mom.
Chapter 27
Jazzi glanced out the bedroom window when she got up on Monday and stopped to stare. Green sprouts poked their heads above ground in her flower beds, and crocuses were ready to bloom. When had that happened? Mid March was offering up the promise of spring. The temperatures had climbed a little, but it was still coat weather.
She hugged herself. The earth was awakening and stretching from under its blanket of snow. Regular sandwiches wouldn’t cut it today. She’d have to take something for lunch to celebrate.
She had to laugh at herself. Why was everything in her life related to food? But she couldn’t help it. Spring deserved a lighter touch, more fresh vegetables. She hurried down to the kitchen and spread Crescent Roll dough onto a cookie sheet. She sautéed sausage and mushrooms, added a teaspoon of fennel seeds and shredded mozzarella cheese, rolled the filling in the dough, then sealed it. After twenty five minutes in the oven, it would be done.
When she finally sat at the kitchen island with Ansel, he shook his head at her. “What brought that on?”
“Flowers are coming up in our backyard.”
“That puts you in a cooking frenzy?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Not a frenzy, but it puts me in the mood to celebrate.”
“In that case . . .” He stood and pulled her into his arms, then began to waltz around the kitchen. When they returned to their stools, he bent to give her a proper kiss. “Let me know if you need more.”
She could think of a few things, but they’d be late for work. The timer buzzed and she pulled their lunch from the oven. Gulping down a mug of coffee, she got ready to leave.
When they reached the Victorian, she stalked around its yard, looking at the flowerbeds. No luck. No spring shoots. When she walked inside, Jerod smirked at her. “You always had a thing about flowers and birds.”
True. That’s why she’d hung birdfeeders at home where she could see them from the kitchen window.
“Hey, if daffodils make her want to cook special lunches for us, I say we plant more bulbs.” Ansel gently lowered George close to his dog bed. The pug only had to take a few steps before he curled and got comfortable enough to supervise their work.
Jerod went to remove the cardboard box from an upper kitchen cupboard. “Let’s hope spring gives her more energy to hold these up for us.”
A not very subtle cue to get busy. They buckled on their toolbelts and got to work.
They’d installed the upper kitchen cabinets and the pantry before lunch. George liked the idea of fancier fare than usual and begged for scraps. Ansel tossed him a few and then patted his head. “That’s enough, buddy. You’ll have to wait for more until dinner time.”
The dog flopped on the floor, placing his head on his paws, and whimpered. Jazzi smiled, waiting to see if Ansel would give in. And yes, he did. The man was putty in the dog’s paws.
They were back to working on the appliances when Gaff tapped at the door and came in. He looked as disgruntled and upset as Jazzi had ever seen him. They all stopped and automatically went to him. He stood inside the door, his shoulders hunched.
When they waited silently, he cleared his throat and said, “Ray’s wife is in Lutheran Hospital. Someone attacked her in the school parking lot and beat her so badly, she’s unconscious. One of the other lunch ladies walked out and found her on the ground near her car.”
Cold crept through Jazzi’s veins. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself. “Does Ray know?”
“He’s at the hospital with her. I got the call when I was talking to a driver Ray used to work with. The guy told me he only worked with Ray on one job and that was moving appliances out of a warehouse Ronnie worked at. He didn’t know much, but it means that Ray helped Ronnie move stolen goods at least once.”
The news slid out of Jazzi’s head as though it had landed on Teflon. She couldn’t stop thinking about Donovan’s mom. “Did this finally persuade Ray to talk to you? To tell you who broke his fingers and gave him a black eye?”
“He told me, but I understand why he stayed mum. He said two guys he’d never seen before showed up. One held him while the other guy asked him where the money was. At first, Ray didn’t know what money they were talking about, but when they told him it was from a job he’d done with Ronnie, Jarrett, and Gavin, he said that he’d taken his share of the cut and given the rest to Ronnie to pass on. They’d already visited Ronnie, and he told them that Ray kept it all. They decided to help Ray’s memory and when he couldn’t tell them anything else, they said they’d be back and if he said anything to anyone about what happened, they’d question his wife instead of him.”
“And they grabbed her anyway.” Jerod shook his head. “What did they think would happen if they beat her this bad? They’d have to think it would make Ray mad enough to talk to you.”
Gaff shrugged. “I’d guess whoever’s looking for the money is losing his cool. Maybe he didn’t send hired thugs this time but went himself and got a little too carried away.”
Jazzi couldn’t imagine a man beating up a woman, but she read about it all the time in the newspapers. “Didn’t you say Jarrett had two women file restraining orders against him?”
Gaff nodded. “I plan on stopping to see him again, but the guy’s been in and out of jail most of his life. He holds his cards close. Anyway, I’m telling you this because you share so much information with me. If you hear anything else, keep me informed, will you? But whatever you do, stay away from Gavin and Jarrett.”
“No worries. I don’t go looking for trouble.” And she didn’t. It just sort of showed up, unexpected. “Do Radley and Elspeth know?”
Gaff shook his head. “Didn’t think about calling them. You can if you want to.”
“They were close to Donovan. They’ll want to know.” But she didn’t reach for her cell phone. She fought down anger and frustration instead. Why hadn’t Ray or his wife listened to them? Gran had warned them this might happen.
Gaff pressed his lips together, then turned to leave. “If either Radley or Donovan’s girlfriend have heard anything, pass it on, will you? Gotta go. I have to get back to the station.”
When the door closed behind him, Ansel reached out to hold her. “Sorry, babe. You tried to warn her. You going to be okay?”
Jerod stomped to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. He gripped the mug’s handle so tightly, she was afraid it might snap. It took a minute to collect himself, then he nodded at her. “If anyone laid a hand on Franny, I’d want to kill him. You’d better call Radley. He deserves to know.”
She walked into the other room to make her calls. When she returned, she said, “Radley’s going to pick up Elspeth, and he wants me to go to the hospital with them to visit Ray and his wife.”
“Go.” Jerod put his empty mug into the newly installed deep sink and motioned to the stainless steel stove. “Ansel and I will finish this job and install the kitchen island. I need to work.”
Ansel went to join him. Jazzi helped until Radley’s van pulled to the curb. With a wave to the guys, she ran out to join him and Elspeth.
On the drive to the hospital, she said, “I always forget Ray’s wife’s name. What is it?”
“Maureen,” Elspeth told her. She had her light brown hair pulled up in a knot
today and wore only the minimum of makeup. Her pretty smile was missing, her expression anxious. “I hope she’s going to be all right, that there’s no permanent damage.”
Jazzi’s hands balled into fists. Did it take two thugs to beat up a middle-aged woman, or had whoever was behind this done it himself? And why send two guys after Ray? Because Ray would recognize whoever paid them?
At the hospital, she braced herself for the visit. How bad did Maureen look? Would there be tubes circling her hospital bed? She was glad for Radley and Elspeth’s company. When they walked into the room, Jazzi was relieved to see that, even though Maureen’s face and body were covered with bruises, she was awake. That had to be a good sign, didn’t it?
Ray sat next to her bed, holding her hand. When he saw them, he looked relieved. “She could use someone to talk to besides me.”
Elspeth went to stand on the other side of the bed and fidgeted nervously. “You don’t know me. We never met. I’m Elspeth. I was Donovan’s girlfriend before he . . . died.”
Maureen’s left eye was swollen shut, but she studied Elspeth carefully. “Donovan talked about you every time he called. He thought the world of you.” The words came slowly and slurred. Her cracked and puffy lips made it hard to talk, and her two front teeth were missing.
Tears misted Elspeth’s eyes and she blinked them away. “I liked him, too.” She turned to Radley. “This is Radley. He worked with Donovan and they were friends.”
“It was nice of you to come.” Maureen looked back and forth between the two of them. “Have you become friends?”
Elspeth’s shoulders sagged. “We got together to remember Donovan, and we’ve sort of . . . well, gotten to like each other.”
Maureen tried to smile and winced. “Donovan would like that. He wanted the people he loved to be happy.”
Radley shuffled his feet, frowning. “Do you have any idea who did this to you?”
Maureen shook her head, wincing again. “Sorry. It hurts to move. I have two fractured ribs.”
“Did he punch you in the stomach?” Anger tainted Radley’s tone.
“No, in the face. He kicked me when I was down.”
Jazzi wished she knew who did this. More, she wished she could hogtie him, drag him into a basement, and give him to Thane, Jerod, Radley, and Ansel. Let him see how much fun it was to be beat up. She came to stand closer to the bed. “Was there only one man or two?”
Maureen tried another smile. Failed. “I was hoping you’d come. One, wearing a ski mask and gloves. He hit me before I could look for his car. I couldn’t tell Detective Gaff anything that might help him.”
“Was he tall?” Jazzi remembered both Jarrett and Gavin were over six feet.
“Taller than Ray.”
She’d guess Ray didn’t quite reach six feet.
“Did he say anything to you?” Jazzi asked.
“He told me to tell Ray to give him his money, or the next time, I’d be dead.”
Ray gave a frustrated sigh. “I don’t have the money. I told the guys that who broke my fingers. I bought us each a new car with my share.”
Maureen’s bottom lip quivered, and she gingerly pressed a finger to it. “You told me you won that money with a lottery ticket.”
“What did you want me to say?” Ray demanded. “I’m not proud of what I did, okay? But we were short on cash and we both needed new cars, couldn’t even afford to put them on payments.”
“That doesn’t make it right.” She glared.
“Look, if I could take it back, I would, but I can’t. I never thought it would lead to any of this. Everything worked out like the four of us thought it would, and everything would have been all right, except I’m thinking Ronnie, the little weasel, played fast and loose with the stash. I did what I was supposed to, took my share and gave the rest to him to pass on. Except he didn’t.”
Maureen started to argue, but turned her head instead, raising her hand to wipe away tears.
Ray stood and began pacing. “Ronnie, Gavin, Jarrett, and I have known each other for years. I’m telling you none of us would do any of this crap. But they all ended up in prison, pulling another job, and I’m thinking one of them blabbed to a cellmate or fellow con, and this guy thinks he can rattle the money out of us. If it was one of us, we’d know it was probably Ronnie who ripped us off. We’d never kill him because he probably took the secret of where he hid it to his grave.”
That was a new thought. And what he said made sense. Why kill Ronnie? If he knew where the money was, it was gone now.
A nurse stuck her head in the room. “Maureen’s had enough visitors for now. The doctor’s coming to see her soon. You might want to say your goodbyes.”
Elspeth reached out to touch Maureen’s hand gently. “Do you need anything? Would you like us to bring something up for you?”
Maureen shook her head. “I’m fine. Ray’s taken time off to stay with me. It was nice meeting you, though. And thanks for thinking of me.”
It seemed precious little to do, but they turned to leave the room. They didn’t talk in the elevator ride down to the lobby. They waited until they were back in Radley’s van, headed home, before Radley said, “Well, this whole mess stinks. Donovan died for nothing.”
“That makes it worse, doesn’t it?” Elspeth agreed. “Someone shot him because he walked into his apartment at the wrong time, and there never was any money in his old sofa.”
Jazzi thought of the murders she’d been involved with before. Most of them seemed pointless. She decided then and there that killing was different than murder. Soldiers killed to protect their country. Cops killed to protect themselves and civilians. Murder was a selfish, generally stupid endeavor. And this murderer seemed worse than usual.
When she reached the fixer-upper and told Ansel and Jerod about the visit with Maureen, their moods tanked again, too.
Ansel grimaced. “I get it now. Ray was trying to protect her. He’s still no prize, but at least he’s not as bad as I’d painted him.”
“It doesn’t sound like he even knew the money disappeared until his buddies in crime got out of prison.” Jerod stared into space, frowning. “It’s hard to piece everything together, but what Ray said makes sense. Who’d kill Ronnie if the money trail stopped with him? No one who knew him. So maybe there’s one or two players involved who weren’t part of the original group.”
Jazzi groaned. Just what they needed. More suspects. With a sigh, she said, “Do you think people would mind if we called off cookie baking tonight? It’s short notice, but I don’t think I can work myself up for it.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Ansel reached for his cell phone. “Want to cancel or reschedule?”
“Can we make it tomorrow instead?”
“Whatever works for you.”
“I enjoy seeing everybody to bake together. It might lift my spirits. We’ll make it Wednesday if that works for them.”
Two phone calls later, Ansel reached across to lay his hand on hers. “Done. Everyone understood. They’ll see us tomorrow.”
Relieved, she settled back to regroup and have an easy night. She had plenty of soup in the freezer to thaw for supper. They’d watch TV and maybe head upstairs early. Spending time in bed with Ansel always made things better. He made everything better. She thought about Ronnie’s grandma. Alone. But she had a network of solid friends to rely on. Everybody needed someone.
Chapter 28
They all threw themselves into work the next day and made a lot of progress. Each completed job boosted their morale. They finished the maple floor. The kitchen appliances and island were put in place, and the dining room stretched, large and spacious, with a plate railing on three walls and three white shaded pendant lights hanging above where the owners’ dining room table would eventually go. They installed a new mantle over the fireplace in the living room, and curtains and drapes
went up. As far as Jazzi could tell, the ground floor was completed. Now all they needed to do were finishing touches on the attic before starting to knock out walls on the second floor to convert it into two large bedrooms with baths and an office. She’d already removed all of the trim, so a week’s worth of heavy framing should see how the layout worked.
“Well? What do you think?” Jerod asked, coming to study the finished first floor with her.
“I love it. The living room’s large enough for two sitting areas, like ours.” She hadn’t been quite sure what they’d need with two of them, but when they gave big parties—like their wedding and Olivia’s upcoming reception—she’d noticed the men congregated in one area and the women in another. It worked out well.
Jerod sounded pleased. “It’s going to be great for a big family.”
Ansel nodded in agreement. “The only thing I still can’t picture is how to make a playroom and wine room in the basement, but we’ll get there.”
“That basement is going to make this house,” Jerod said. “I can hardly drag my kids upstairs out of the playroom you guys helped me with.”
Jazzi wasn’t concerned about the kids’ area. “The basement’s dry and the cement floors are in good shape. All we need to do is drywall, install indoor-outdoor carpet, and hang a ceiling. We’ll add built-in benches on the short wall with storage underneath and bookshelves opposite those with space for a TV screen.”
“What about the wine room?” Ansel asked. “We’ve never done one of those before.”
Jazzi pushed a strand of hair that escaped her ponytail out of the way. “We’ll have to do some serious measuring to see what we can fit where. They want a laundry room down there, too, right?”
