by Lynn Cahoon
After Uncle Pete left, Cat wandered through the empty downstairs. The writers must all have been at the library for the morning, getting in those last few hours of research time. Seth was working on his bid. And Shauna must be packing. She could go outside and play with the kittens for a while or maybe go talk to Dee Dee at the bakery so she could mark off some of those questions she hadn’t found the answers for.
She hesitated as she grabbed her tote bag, but then she shook off the unease she felt about going to talk to the woman. Even her uncle had said Dee Dee wasn’t involved in Greyson’s death. She’d be safe.
She wrote “TOWN” on the bulletin board but figured she’d probably be home before Shauna even saw the message. She slipped a cookie into a plastic bag and threw a bottle of water into her tote. There was nothing wrong with being a little prepared for everything.
Mrs. Rice waved at her through the large plate glass window in her living room. Mr. Peeps was in her arms, and even at the distance Cat was from the house, she could see the hiss that came over the cat as he watched her walk by. What in the world had she ever done to the stupid cat? As if he’d been able to hear her, Mr. Peeps fought against Mrs. Rice’s hold and batted at the window. Cat walked faster to try to get out of his vicinity.
As she walked into town, she ran the cast of characters who might be involved in Greyson’s death through her mind. If Dee Dee was truly off the list like she believed, then she’d have to go through her notebook and the list again and comb out the one person whose alibi seemed less than solid.
When Cat reached the bakery, the café chairs in the front were all upside down on the table. She frowned and glanced at her watch. It was eleven on a Saturday. The bakery should have been bursting with people right now. Instead, the windows were dark. Cat tried the door. It was locked.
Tammy called out from the front of the bookstore where she was washing windows. “She’s not open. I don’t know if she’s sick or not. I haven’t had the time to give her a call.”
“Did she say anything last night?” Cat walked over to the bookstore and watched as Tammy finished washing off the window in the door.
“No, and that was weird. I always poke my head in when I’m closing up, just to make sure she’s doing okay. But she was normal. Kind of quiet, but it would be expected, giving the circumstances.”
“You mean Greyson’s death.” It appeared Tammy was convinced that Dee Dee and the murdered chef were an item, even if Uncle Pete thought the idea ludicrous.
“She’s such a sensitive soul. I bet when he moved in with that decorator it probably broke her heart. And now, she’s just a nobody and that woman gets all the sympathy.” Tammy held the door open for a couple who were coming up the walk to the store. “Welcome folks. Feel free to look around. I’ll be right in.”
Cat waited for the older couple to disappear into the store before answering. “Hey, did Dee Dee mention being in a relationship with Nate?”
“The health inspector? That Nate?” Tammy started laughing. “I thought we talked about this earlier. He was in love with her. Dee Dee told me he begged her to go out with him. She let him take her to dinner a few times, but I think they were just friends. Dee Dee liked to exaggerate sometimes.”
Cat wondered what other stories Dee Dee had told and how many of them contradicted themselves. She said her good-byes and headed home for lunch.
The kitchen was empty and the stove cold when Cat returned from her wasted walk into town. Her note was still on the board. Maybe Shauna had just lost track of time. Cat went through the kitchen and up the stairs to the third floor.
She knocked on Shauna’s door. “Hey, do you want me to order pizza or have Seth run into town for some burgers?”
There was no answer. Cat opened the door and glanced inside. Shauna’s suitcase was out on her bed, packed with clothes. It was still open but it looked like Shauna had finished most of her packing already. Cat crossed the room and glanced into the bathroom. No Shauna. Now she was beginning to worry. She went to the window and glanced out to the backyard. Shauna could see the pasture from the window and Cat saw Snow out grazing. So Shauna wasn’t riding.
Cat left the room and headed to the stairs. Seth was just coming down from the attic where he had set up a desk for his office on retreat weeks.
He grabbed her arm before she could go downstairs. “Hey, what’s got you in such a hurry? I take it Shauna has lunch ready?”
“No.” Cat pulled away and started down the stairs.
Seth followed her. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, lunch isn’t ready. Shauna doesn’t appear to be in the house.” Cat paused at the second-floor landing, then walked over to where the guests’ rooms were. She knocked on the first door. No answer. Using her pass key, she opened the door and walked through the room, making sure Shauna wasn’t hurt or passed out. Entering one room after the other, she cleared all the rooms, even the one without a guest this week. No Shauna. Seth stood in the hallway, watching her, concern in his eyes. She could barely meet his gaze after she checked the last room.
“Don’t get worried, yet. She could be doing laundry. Or out in the barn with Snow.” Seth put his hands on Cat’s forearms to steady her. He met her gaze. “Right now, she’s just not where she is supposed to be. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Cat hoped he was right. Because if anything had happened to Shauna . . . She shook her head. She wasn’t going to think the worst.
“You go check the barn. I’ll clear the rest of the house.” Cat took a deep breath, trying to keep the fear at bay. “We just saw her at breakfast.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cat had gone through all the rooms in the house, including the basement. When she came back upstairs, she dialed Shauna’s phone. She heard the ringing in the foyer. She ran from the kitchen. A woman stood at the desk.
“Thank God, I thought something had happened to you.” Cat rushed toward the hotel desk but as she got closer, she realized the red hair was really blond. It wasn’t Shauna at the desk, but Bren.
She held out the phone. “I had just come in from lunch in town when I heard this go off. Isn’t that Shauna’s phone?”
“Yeah.” Cat cut the connection and slipped her phone into her pants pocket. She took Shauna’s phone from Bren. “Hey, you haven’t seen her, have you?”
“No, not since yesterday. I came back early from lunch because I wanted to get this scene down before I lost it.” Bren moved toward the living room. “Your car is parked across from the post office downtown. Maybe she went shopping or something?”
The car. Cat’s shoulders dropped. Of course, Shauna had mentioned she was going shopping. She must have just forgotten about the time. Hoping the concern she felt didn’t show on her face, Cat smiled at Bren. “That’s right. I’d forgotten she was going to get some supplies. Thanks and good luck with your scene.”
“No probs.” Bren waved as she disappeared into the living room. Cat glanced out the front. The SUV with the Warm Springs Resort logo on the front wasn’t sitting out front like she’d left it the last time she’d driven anywhere.
Seth came in through the front doorway. “She’s not in the barn and I’ve walked the entire property.”
“She’s at the store. Bren told me she saw the car in town. I’m going to walk in and see what’s keeping her. Why don’t you come in with me and you can run and get us burgers for lunch from The Diner?” The fear Cat had felt had disappeared. Shauna used the grocery story as her source of gossip. With the murder happening this week, she’d probably just lost track of time.
When they got to Main Street, Cat saw the car in the grocery store parking lot. “So we’ll meet at the car?”
Seth patted his pockets. “Sure, I have my keys if I get done first. I shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes. Call me if you need help with the groceries.”
“I think she was just getting a few things to tide me over until she got back.” Cat shook her head. “I told her not to worry abo
ut it, but she said she needed some travel-sized products too.”
“She’s really excited about this trip. Even though she doesn’t talk a lot about her brother, she must miss him.” Seth kissed her and then pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll call in the order while I’m walking. Hopefully that will save some time. I’m starving.”
“Well, I won’t leave you waiting in the car long then.” Cat waved and crossed the street to the grocery store. She glanced at the checkout counters first—no Shauna. Then she slowly made her way down the edges of the store. Not in produce, not at the butcher counter, not at the bakery. When she went by each aisle, she paused, scanning the row for Shauna. Finally, she was back up front at the checkout stations. A man in a yellow vest smiled at her.
“Can I help you find something?” The man’s name tag read Roger.
“Hi, Roger. My friend Shauna Clodagh came in this morning and I’m just looking for her.” Cat didn’t know where she might be but maybe she was in some cubby drinking coffee and chatting in the back.
“Shauna didn’t come in this morning. She has the retreat this week. I probably won’t see her until Sunday afternoon.” Roger turned toward an elderly woman and pointed to an empty checkout line. “Mrs. Anders, Sally on number five can help you.”
“But she said she was coming to the store. Her car’s out front.” Cat put a hand on Roger’s arm as the man started to step away, clearly done with the conversation.
He frowned and turned toward the large windows in the front of the store. “You’re right. It is out there. Hold on a minute.”
He went to the checkers, one by one, and they each shook their heads after looking at Cat. Then he stopped by the service desk and picked up the phone. Finally, he came back to where Cat was standing. Her gut was twisted in a knot and she knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth.
“Sorry, no one has seen her.” He pointed toward the service desk. “Why don’t we go over there where you can sit and I’ll call Pete.”
“Call Uncle Pete? Why?” This couldn’t be happening. Shauna was going to walk through that door laughing about her adventure and be shocked that Cat came to track her down.
“It appears she’s gone missing. I’m sure you’ll want your uncle’s help in finding her.” He put a hand on her back and tried to move her out of the main aisle.
“You call Uncle Pete. I’m going to go looking in the other stores.” Cat shook off his hand and his concern. Shauna wasn’t missing. She couldn’t be.
Cat pulled out her phone and dialed Seth as she walked out of the store. When he picked up, the tears started to fall. “Seth, she’s not here. I’m going to check the stores around and see if I can find her. She has to be somewhere.”
“Check the car. I’m on my way.”
She heard him talking to the restaurant staff but she hung up the phone and hurried over to the car. It was empty and unlocked. Which wasn’t unusual. Cat didn’t lock the car when she took it for errands either. Aspen Hills just wasn’t that type of town where you worried about such things.
She was about to close the door when she saw the slip of paper on the passenger seat. She grabbed it and read Shauna’s grocery list as well as her other stops. She had listed “book for flight” on the top. Was she in Tammy’s store, lost in the stacks and trying to find a story to keep her busy during the flight?
Cat put the note into her pocket and took off to the bookstore that was only a block away. Shauna had probably been inside when Cat stopped to talk to Tammy. Speed walking down the street, she crossed against the light since there were no cars on either road. At the bookstore, she pulled open the door and the bell rang out.
Tammy looked up and smiled. “It must be my lucky day. It’s not often I get to see you twice. Do you need something for the retreat? Or is this research?”
“Is Shauna here?” Cat glanced around the small bookstore.
Tammy shook her head, worry creasing her brow as she picked up on Cat’s concern. “I haven’t seen her for a week at least. I mean, in the store. I saw her yesterday at the retreat and she said she was coming by to pick up some reading material. I pulled a stack of recommendations for her to look at but she hasn’t come in yet. Why? Is something wrong?”
Cat moved through the bookstore much like she had at the grocery store even though it was smaller and, besides her and Tammy, completely empty. She paused at the counter. “You’re sure she didn’t come in? Maybe she’s in the back?”
“I can check. I’ll check the bathroom too, but, Cat, I don’t think she’s here.” Tammy held up a finger. “Hold on.”
Cat took a deep breath and pulled out the list again to study it. A book and the groceries. Nothing else. Where had Shauna stopped in between the grocery store and the bookstore? Cat turned and looked out the window at the closed-up bakery.
Cat moved toward the door.
“Cat?” Tammy’s voice stopped her. “She’s not back there.”
“Tammy, do me a favor and call 911. Ask them to call Uncle Pete and tell him that I’m going to check out the bakery for Shauna. He’ll know what I’m talking about.”
“Cat, no one’s at the bakery. I told you earlier, I called Dee Dee when I saw she was still closed this morning.” Tammy started to follow her.
“Just call 911 for me. And if you wouldn’t mind, stand outside and watch for Seth? He should be coming by soon.” Cat didn’t wait for a response. She hurried over to the bakery’s front door and tried the handle. Locked. Then she peered into the dark dining area. No sign of life. If Dee Dee had Shauna, they were in the back.
She made her way down the narrow walkway between the bookstore and the bakery. In the back alley, there were two parking spots for the bakery. One had a white van with the bakery name and logo on the front. The other was empty. The door to the van was open as was the back door to the bakery.
Cat snuck around the van and peeked in the front and back windows. It was empty. But the keys were in the ignition. Cat made her way up the stairs to the back porch staying close to the wall of the building. She could hear someone talking as she got closer to the doorway.
She peeked inside and saw Dee Dee standing over Shauna, who had been tied to a chair. A gag was in her mouth, but Cat met her gaze.
Shauna blinked twice, letting Cat know that she had seen her.
Cat leaned back against the wall and out of view of either Dee Dee or Shauna. What on earth was she going to do? And why would Dee Dee do this?
You don’t ask residents of crazy town why. For some reason, the thought made her calm down just a bit. As she stood there, she heard Dee Dee talking to Shauna. She picked up her phone, dialed 911, and adjusted the volume, holding the phone toward the doorway. Hopefully Katie would be listening and hear what was going on so she could send someone to help.
“You just had to stick your nose into my business. First, you steal my recipes to put into that book of yours, then you try to steal Nate. Yeah, I’ve heard about how he was all over you at Bernie’s. Men are pigs, all of them. But it’s women like you who tempt them. He was hitting on someone new a few nights ago. I bet you didn’t know that, did you? You and that Sandra who thought she could take Greyson away from me.”
Cat listened as the woman raged about the unfairness of life. If she’d been able to respond, she would have pointed out the fact that Dee Dee had been after two men at the same time and the duplicity of that, but she didn’t think telling the woman that would help Shauna’s chances. She tuned back in to the rants.
“So, you’re just going to have to disappear into the woods. That’s the nice thing about living so close to a forest. There are lots of little creatures who will think of you as a tasty treat after I leave your body there. And as long as I keep you tied up well, I won’t even have to kill you myself. Bear, wolf, or mountain lion—I’m pretty sure one of those will find you long before your friends even know you’re missing.”
Cat glanced around for something, anything to use as a w
eapon. She had to keep Dee Dee from putting Shauna in the van at all costs. She sat the phone down on the porch floor, up against the wall, and hoped that someone was still listening. Then she picked up a board that had come loose from a pallet. Hopefully Dee Dee didn’t have a real weapon or she’d be coming into a knife fight with a toothpick. But she had to do something.
She hefted the board and stepped into the doorway. Dee Dee was poised above Shauna, a wooden paddle she must have used for her ovens held upright and ready to swing. Shauna ducked as Cat cried out, “Stop it, Dee Dee!”
Dee Dee checked herself midswing, missing Shauna and hitting the chair. Shauna fell over to the floor and Cat could see her trying to free herself. “The police are on their way; put down the paddle.”
“It’s called a pizza peel, not a paddle. Seriously, don’t either of you know anything about cooking?” Dee Dee’s eyes were bright with madness. “And it works really well to knock someone out. I guess in Greyson’s case, it broke something in his head because by the time I came back to check on him to see if he’d come to his senses yet, the guy was stone cold.”
“You can’t kill someone because he doesn’t love you.” Cat stepped closer, her fingers gripping the wood, but she could feel the sweat forming on her palm. Where were the police? It couldn’t be more than two blocks to the station from here.
Dee Dee cackled in glee. “Oh, but I can. You know that. Greyson needed to control his family and stay out of my bakery. He wanted to close me down. After all I did for the guy, he was going to let his family take over my building? That wasn’t going to happen.”
“And yet, it’s still happening, even with Greyson gone. You got served eviction papers, right? Who are you going to kill to stop that? The lawyer, Greyson’s family, the judge who approved the order?”
“I might not be able to stop it, but I don’t have to let her steal my recipes or my chance at happiness with Nate.” Dee Dee smiled. “And maybe you can come along with her. I hear bears need a lot of food in the fall to allow them to hibernate.”
