A Bidder End

by Ellery Adams

  “Would you like to hear my opinion?”

  Molly smiled. “Ma, I’d love to hear your opinion.”

  “I believe someone is using this game like bread crumbs on a trail, leading you straight to Iris,” Clara said. “The fact that the pawns are missing is too coincidental. Why would she take them from this particular box, and use them at two murder scenes, when it took only a brief conversation with John to confirm Murder Mystery is her favorite game?”

  Molly put everything back in the box. “She could be stupid,” she said. “Lombardi’s always telling me about the stupid criminals he comes into contact with.”

  “What about Sabrina? She could have played Murder Mystery with Iris, and knows it’s her favorite game. She does seem to have it in for her.”

  “Yes, but we don’t know who else knows. Iris also could have told Helen, for instance, or Holt, when they were dating. On a busy Friday or Saturday night, it wouldn’t be hard to rent the game and steal the pawns. No one would notice they were missing until the next time someone asked for the game, like we did.”

  “Will you give it back to John?”

  “No, I’ll have to talk to the manager,” Molly said. “This game is evidence now. I’ll give it to Lombardi tonight.”

  Chapter 24

  Molly’s chicken taco dinner was a big hit with everyone, including Detective Sanchez, who brought a box of assorted cupcakes from Java Jitters for dessert. While they ate the cupcakes, Molly talked about the people she’d interviewed, to bring them all up-to-date on her part of the investigation. She also gave Lombardi the Murder Mystery game from the Lakeside Brewery. By the end of the night, everyone except Lombardi and Sanchez agreed it seemed like Iris was being framed. They were cops, after all, and didn’t want to jump to any conclusions without solid evidence. Lombardi was also concerned that he might be crossing a line professionally; as much as he valued Molly’s help and the information she’d gathered so far, this was an official murder investigation. He’d have to do his own digging to confirm what she’d told him, and there were limits to how much information he could discuss with her without jeopardizing the investigation.

  In the morning, Matt left for work, Starling fed Tyler his breakfast, and Molly shuttered herself in her office to work on the auction article. She started at nine, and as so often happened when she was writing, time flew by. At noon, she took a half-hour break and ate lunch with Starling and Tyler, and went back to work. By two thirty, she was tired, and her eyes were sore, but she had completed a rough draft. She switched off her computer. She would leave the revisions for another day, when her mind was fresh.

  Her cell phone rang, and she picked it up, thinking it could be Lombardi calling to let her know the outcome of the interviews he had held at the Dolans’ that morning. Instead, it was a number she didn’t recognize. When she answered, she was surprised to hear Helen’s voice.

  “Hi, Molly. I was wondering if we could we meet.”

  “Sure. Where and when?”

  “Are you free now? I’m downtown.”

  “Do you know where Java Jitters is?”

  “Yes. I’ll meet you there,” Helen said.

  Fifteen minutes later, Molly walked into Java Jitters. She saw Helen sitting in the back at a table for two, but headed over to the counter first to order. Jazzy wasn’t there, but the young woman who was working knew her and had seen her come in. She had her French vanilla latte in the works before Molly could even ask for it. With mug in hand, she walked over to Helen and sat down across from her. She no longer wore bandages on her wrists, but Molly could see faint red marks were still visible.

  “Thanks for meeting me here,” Helen said. “I didn’t know who else to talk to.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Detective Lombardi came to see me this morning. He asked all kinds of questions about my relationships with Jasper and Brett, and if I’ve ever been to a restaurant called the Lakeside Brewery.” Helen brushed her hair out of her face and straightened her shoulders. “I wasn’t entirely honest with him, and now I’m regretting it.”

  “What weren’t you honest about?”

  “I lied about how I met Jasper,” Helen said. “Do you remember what I told you when I was in the hospital?”

  “You said you met him when you were waiting tables at a diner in Los Angeles.”

  “It’s a story I’ve been telling for years because I didn’t like people knowing I’d married my boss. Jasper’s uncle owns Colonial Limousine, and Jasper was vice president. I worked for him.”

  Molly was astonished. She had been right about Jasper’s green pawn. He had been a businessman. And she recalled Colonial Limousine was the company where Holt had worked.

  “Did Jasper really go to prison?”

  “Yes, and I did divorce him while he was serving time.”

  “How did you get the job with Atlas?”

  “He’s friends with Jasper’s uncle, and he approached me about working for him after the divorce. He thought I might want a change, after everything I’d gone through.”

  “Whose idea was it to hire Holt?”

  “I suggested it to Atlas, but only because he was complaining about the other drivers.”

  “You should have told Detective Lombardi,” Molly said. “Did you lie to him about the Lakeside Brewery?”

  “No. I told him I’ve never been there, and that’s the truth,” Helen said. “I know I shouldn’t have lied, but I’m scared he thinks I had something to do with Jasper’s death, or might even have killed him.”

  “Lying about how you met your ex-husband doesn’t mean you killed him,” Molly said. “Or is there something else you’re leaving out about Jasper, or Brett?”

  “No, nothing, I swear.” Helen paused. “Except, well, he did ask me a lot of questions about Iris, and I wasn’t totally honest about her either.”

  Good grief, Molly thought. “About what specifically?”

  “He wanted to know if she was at work all day yesterday. I told him she was, but it’s not true. I sent her out in the morning to the grocery store and the pharmacy to pick up some things.”

  How convenient, Molly thought. This meant Iris had the time to leave the two boxes for her and Holt. The poor girl couldn’t get a break.

  “Was anyone else away from the house?”

  “I’m not sure,” Helen said. “I only know Iris was out because I sent her.”

  “What about Sabrina? Do you know if she was home?”

  “I saw her car parked in front of her house when I got up in the morning.”

  “You’re still living in Holt’s apartment?”

  “Yes. I’m afraid to go home with a killer on the loose, not knowing why they killed Jasper. With the news media reporting on it, I feel like everyone in town knows about my connection to him.” Helen finished her coffee and set the mug down. “So, what should I do? I need your advice.”

  “You have to tell Detective Lombardi what you’ve told me,” Molly said. “I would advise you to go to the police station immediately. If he’s not there, call him and tell him you’ll wait. Do you still have his number?”

  “Yes, I do,” Helen said. “I hope Iris isn’t in any kind of trouble.” She gathered up her things and stood. “Could you call Detective Lombardi and let him know I’m on my way?”

  “Of course,” Molly said.

  Helen walked away, and Molly took out her cell phone. Lombardi answered on the first ring and said, “I was just about to call you. I heard back from the medical examiner’s office. There’s no sign of ketamine in Jasper’s system, and the knife has been positively identified as a Dahlgren Bayonet knife. Do you think Herschel lied to you about buying the knife?”

  “No. Julian would have had a record of the sale.”

  “Well, someone stole it and used it to kill Jasper,” he said. “And this same person, or persons, stole those cookie jars and put the pawn pieces in them. I have to say, I’m impressed at how painstakingly careful they’ve been. So fa
r, we have nothing linking anyone to either crime. I was out at the Dolans’ house all morning questioning everyone.”

  “I know. Helen called me and asked to meet. I’m at Java Jitters, and she just left for the police station.” She gave him a quick rundown of their conversation. “I told her she had to tell you. Are you at work?”

  “Yes. I’ll take her revised statement when she gets here,” he said. “This is bad news for Iris. When I spoke to her this morning, she insisted she didn’t take any pawns from the Murder Mystery game at the Lakeside Brewery, and she said she was working all day yesterday.”

  “Maybe she didn’t understand the question. Even though she was out running an errand, she was still technically working.”

  “I’m not going to parse words, Molly. I’ll check with the grocery store and pharmacy to see if their surveillance cameras picked her up and we can establish what time she was at both places.”

  “Okay, good,” she said. “That might actually help her, if the timing doesn’t work with the box deliveries.”

  “I questioned Atlas about the flashlight. He said he doesn’t have any in his collection, and doesn’t know anything about a Roy Rogers and Trigger flashlight.”

  “I guess we’ll have to take his word for it,” she said. “What about Sabrina? Were you able to talk to her?”

  “As a matter of fact, I talked to her and Julian right after I left the Dolans’,” he said. “I caught up with them at Laurel Wreath, where they were packing boxes. I pressed Sabrina on the stolen cookie jars and pawns. I told her she and Iris were the last ones to play Murder Mystery at the Lakeside Brewery, hoping she’d admit she took the pawns.”

  “Is that true? Were they the last ones who played the game?”

  “I have no idea. They don’t keep records on the players. I made it up. Anyway, she adamantly denied stealing anything, and said if I continued to harass her, she would call her family’s lawyer, who is none other than Elliott Gellman.”

  “Oh, no.” Molly cringed. This was bad news for Lombardi. Elliott Gellman was one of the best attorneys in Vermont, and Lombardi had gone up against him in court many times and lost. If Gellman was representing Atlas Dolan and his family, he’d be lucky to get anything useful out of Sabrina.

  “As for Julian, I asked him about his relationship with Brett. He admitted there were times he felt underappreciated, but he said Brett was a great boss, and he loved his job. As for the cookie jars and the pawns, he said he had nothing to do with any of it. And I can’t prove he’s lying.”

  “So what’s the next step?”

  “Grunt work,” he said. “I’ve got Jasper’s phone records, and I’m hoping I might find a link to someone in Vermont. Maybe he was lured here. I also have his bank records, which are interesting. His uncle isn’t the only wealthy family member. It seems Jasper was in a family trust worth millions.”

  “Oh, really? Is Helen a beneficiary, if he dies?”

  “Nope. I already checked.”

  “Too bad,” she said.

  “You know that would have been way too easy,” he said. “If you get any more calls from people I’ve interviewed, let me know. In the meantime, I’ll be at the station sorting through Jasper’s life, and Brett’s bank records. I’ll probably be buried in paperwork the rest of the day.”

  “Would you mind if I went over to Laurel Wreath?”

  “Are you hoping to talk to Sabrina and Julian?”

  “I really just want to walk around the shop and see what other vintage cookie jars and board games were for sale. Who knows? Maybe one of the antiques will speak to me and tell me who our killer is.”

  Lombardi groaned. “Please, don’t start with that again,” he said. “You know I don’t believe in haunted dolls or other inanimate objects.”

  Molly smiled. “I don’t either, but I’m feeling a little desperate.”

  Chapter 25

  Molly was glad to see that Julian’s Mini Cooper was still in the Laurel Wreath parking lot. She pulled up beside his car and switched off the engine, then walked up to the glass-fronted door and cupped her hands around her eyes. She could see the register counter, and the hall behind it, which had the lights on. She knocked firmly on the door and waited. A moment later Julian came to the door and unlocked it.

  “Molly, what are you doing here?”

  “I was hoping I could take a look around. Do you mind?”

  He hesitated, a concerned look on his face. “I was actually just about to run out. I have to pick up more supplies so I can finish up the packing and the shipping labels. Could you come back later?”

  “Sure. But while I have you, can I ask you something? I was at Lotus Flower Wednesday night having dinner with my husband. I saw you come in with Sabrina. You’re dating, aren’t you?”

  Julian frowned. “We dated for a couple of weeks, but it didn’t work out.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because it’s none of your business,” he said. “But if you must know, Sabrina and I agreed to keep it quiet.”

  “You told me she was out of your league. Is that why it didn’t work out?”

  “What do you think? She’s Sabrina Dolan, daughter of the movie star. She has champagne tastes and I’ve got a beer bottle budget. I never had a chance.”

  “She wouldn’t have gone out with you in the first place if she didn’t like you.”

  “That’s nice of you to say, but it was a mutual decision to break things off,” he said. “It’s really not that big of a deal. We’re still friends.” He glanced at his watch. “I really have to pick up those supplies so I can finish the labels.”

  “Okay, sure.”

  With that, he closed the door in her face and walked back into the store. Molly was surprised by his abruptness, but she knew he was busy and probably not himself since Brett’s death. She shrugged it off and decided she could run to Java Jitters and pick up a latte, then come back to have a look around. As she headed for her car, she thought how she’d come looking for clues, or an answer of some kind, but was leaving just as confused as she had been when she’d arrived. Maybe the flashlight was an appropriate symbol of her being in the dark after all.

  Chapter 26

  Getting into her car, Molly felt a wave of sadness wash over her. Brett had spent a lot of time and money renovating the barn, making Laurel Wreath a successful business. What would happen to it now? Would a new buyer come along and open a new store? Or would Brett’s family sell the barn and farmhouse separately? With enough money and vision, the barn could be converted from a shop to a home.

  She thought about Brett standing up for Iris when Holt was giving her a hard time. His coming to her defense didn’t surprise her. But she had been surprised to learn that he’d used his charms on Sabrina to get to her father, and when that failed, had moved on to Helen. Was he really so shallow? Or was Sabrina making it all up? And what about his relationship with Helen? Was it really a strong one? Molly had no way to prove it. She could only take Helen’s word for it. One thing she did know was that if a man was in love, he didn’t usually keep his girlfriend a secret. He wanted his friends and family to meet her, and was happy and proud to be seen out with her. So why didn’t Brett tell her about Helen? It bothered her that he didn’t even hint that they were dating. Maybe she was overly sentimental, but she thought it should have been the first thing he’d told her as soon as Helen’s name came up. And yet it hadn’t.

  Molly started the car’s engine and pulled out of the space, intending to head for the exit, but as the farmhouse came into view she slammed on the brakes. There was a car parked in front of the house. Was it Brett’s parents? Had they come to Vermont to plan his funeral? She thought about driving away and leaving it alone, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she put her car in gear.

  As soon as Molly pulled up next to the car, she recognized it as Iris’s silver Ford Focus. But where was Iris? She turned off the engine and got out of the car, leaving her bag behind but taking her
phone with her. The sun was hot on her neck. The house was still and quiet. She walked up the porch steps and tried the door, but it was locked. She went back down the stairs and followed the path that went around to the back of the house, noticing as she went that the lawn needed mowing. She found Iris sitting on the porch steps, her elbows on her knees, her chin on her hands. She looked up when she saw Molly, her eyes red and puffy from crying, a tissue clenched in one hand.

  Molly walked over to her and said softly, “Iris, honey. What are you doing here?”

  Iris lowered her gaze. “I miss Brett,” she said.

  Molly sat down on the step beside her. Brett’s wildflower garden was in a riotous, colorful bloom, the scent of it sweet and thick on the air. She saw a bumblebee flit lazily from bud to bud, supping on the nectar, and thought about how much Brett would have loved to see this.

  “I thought you didn’t know Brett very well,” Molly said. “Why do you miss him? And why are you here?”

  Iris sighed. “It’s complicated,” she said.

  “I’m a very good listener,” Molly said. “And I have nowhere else to be.”

  Iris rubbed her forehead. “The truth is, Molly, he was more than a friend.”

  “I see,” Molly said, even though she didn’t. Was this the missing piece of the puzzle? Would she finally be able to solve this deadly game? “When did your relationship start?”

  “About three weeks ago,” Iris said. “He came to my house one night out of the blue. I didn’t invite him, I swear. He wanted to give me a present.” She paused. “It was the cookie jars, the ones everybody thinks were stolen from the shop.”