by Ellery Adams
“Oh, Iris. I wish you had told me. Will you tell me about it now?”
“Yes,” Iris said. “It started the night he came over. He said he was in love with me, and he couldn’t stand my not knowing anymore. He hoped I felt the same way about him. I was shocked. I didn’t know what to say. I mean, sure, I saw him at the shop sometimes, but like I told you, I didn’t really know him. I thought he was joking. He swore up and down he wasn’t. He said he’d tried to resist me, but every time he saw me, he felt like his heart was going to come out of his chest. He said he couldn’t stop dreaming about me. To be honest, it freaked me out a little. So I told him he should go, and take the cookie jars with him. He went away, and I thought that was the end of it. But two nights later, he showed up again, and this time he had flowers. He apologized for coming on too strong and said he really did want us to get to know each other better, and wouldn’t I please give him a chance.” She shook her head. “I knew it was wrong. He was dating Helen. I couldn’t get involved with him. But he was standing there, and I couldn’t help myself. I let him in, and one thing led to another and, well . . .” Her voice trailed away.
“He stayed the night?”
“Yes, and the next night, and the next.” Iris squeezed her eyes shut. A tear slid down one cheek. “I couldn’t say no to him.”
“You say this started about three weeks ago, but last week Holt was telling everyone he broke up with you because you got too clingy, and you got upset because you couldn’t handle it. Was that a lie?”
“Of course it was,” Iris said. “I broke up with him right after I started seeing Brett. It was Holt who couldn’t take being rejected. God forbid a woman tell him they’re not interested in him. He has to be the one to do the breaking up, or he goes on the attack.”
“But why let him spread the lie, and why did you cry?”
“I wasn’t crying about what Holt said. I was crying because I was touched by how Brett stood up for me,” Iris said. “I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth about being in love with me, but when he did that, I thought okay, maybe this is real, and I’m not just a fling.” She wiped another tear away. “It was easier to let people believe Holt, because I didn’t want it getting out that I was seeing Brett, not while he was still with Helen.”
“He was still with her while he was seeing you?”
“He told me he only saw her during the day, when they were working on the auction. They were putting in long hours, and he used the excuse of being tired not to get together with her at night. He said she was tired, too, and didn’t put up a fuss.” Iris sighed. “I felt so guilty, sneaking around behind her back. He told me as soon as the auction was over he was going to break things off.”
“Why wait?”
“He said they were both too invested in the auction, and he needed to work with her. He said he was afraid she’d lose her focus if he told her too soon.”
“Do you think she knew about the two of you?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Iris said. “I hope not.”
“What about Sabrina? Did she know you were seeing Brett?”
“Yes, I told her right after it started,” Iris said.
“Was that wise? You know she liked him.”
“Yes, but when he started going out with Helen, she told me she was over him. Then she started seeing Julian, and I thought she wouldn’t mind if I was with Brett. But I was wrong. When I told her, she said I’d betrayed her, and she didn’t want to talk to me ever again. That’s when she accused me of stealing money from her, and she fired me.” Iris’s eyes filled with fresh tears. “I want to explain to her that I didn’t do it on purpose, that it just happened, but she won’t listen. She won’t return my phone calls, and when I try to see her, she turns her back on me.”
“Iris, when was the last time you talked to Brett?”
“The morning of the auction,” Iris said, sniffling. “He came over early with coffee and donuts. He’d worked late the night before, and said he was exhausted, but really excited about the day ahead. He promised he was going to talk to Helen the next day and break things off with her, and then we could be together all the time and wouldn’t have to keep it quiet anymore.”
Molly took a moment to think this through. She was pretty certain Brett had used Sabrina and Helen to get Atlas to sign up with him for an auction. But did his using them mean he was also using Iris as some kind of means to an end? Or had he finally met someone he cared about? A housekeeper, who lived alone in a tiny house, and had few possessions.
“Did you tell Sabrina that Brett wanted to give you the cookie jars?”
“Yes, and I told her I made him take them away.”
“Do you know what he did with them?”
“He told me he was keeping them at his house for me,” Iris said. “He said once the auction was over, and everyone knew we were a couple, I should move in with him.”
Molly was amazed. Brett wanted Iris to live with him? This was taking their budding relationship to a whole other level. “Did you tell Sabrina he wanted you to move in?”
Iris stared at her, speechless. That’s when Molly realized she wasn’t looking at her, but at someone behind her. Molly turned and saw Julian walking toward them. He was holding a black revolver.
Chapter 27
Iris grabbed Molly’s arm. Her hand was shaking, and her breathing was fast. Molly covered her hand with her own to try to calm her down. She said to Julian, “What are you doing here?” She didn’t mention the gun. It was possible he’d picked up his supplies and come back to finish the packaging, seen cars in front of Brett’s house and thought someone had broken into the place. She hoped that would be his explanation.
He dashed her hopes by saying, “It’s called tying up loose ends.” Using his free hand, he tossed a key ring to her. Molly stumbled as she tried to catch it and stand up at the same time. The key ring clattered to the brick patio. “Pick it up, and open the door,” he said testily. “Use the brass key, not the silver one. Silver’s for the front door. Nice of Brett to trust me with his house keys, wasn’t it?” Molly picked up the key ring, and he waved the gun at her. “Go on. Open the door.”
Molly went up the steps and slipped the brass key into the lock. Iris’s face had gone deathly pale, and she appeared to be frozen to the step. Molly tugged on her arm to help her stand. “Come on,” she said.
“Wait,” Julian said. “Before you go in, I want your cell phones. Put them on the stairs. Do it now.” They did as they were told, placing their phones on the top step.
The door opened into the kitchen, and as soon as Molly walked in, she quickly scanned the room for some kind of weapon. She remembered there had been a butcher’s block with knives on the counter, but it was gone, probably taken by Lombardi’s forensics team. Other knives or sharp objects would be in the drawers. Nothing was accessible on a moment’s notice. She had nothing to fight back with.
Julian shut the door behind them. He walked over to a cupboard and took a drinking glass out. Molly realized he knew his way around Brett’s kitchen. He’d probably been a guest at his home many times. He filled the glass with cold tap water and drank it down. Then he filled another glass. He didn’t offer them any water, but why would he, if he was going to kill them?
“We’ll talk in the living room,” he said, waving the gun at them to move in that direction.
Molly went down the hall, Iris right behind her. They sat together on a sofa by the window that overlooked the front porch. Iris was wringing her hands nervously in her lap. Molly glanced outside and saw the Mini Cooper was blocking their cars from leaving.
Julian sat in an eighteenth-century Windsor chair and crossed his legs casually, as if this was a friendly visit, but Molly knew there was nothing friendly about it. Friends didn’t point guns at you.
“A few weeks ago,” he said without prompting, “Sabrina told me Brett proclaimed his undying love to Iris, and as soon as the auction was over, he was going to break up with Helen.” H
e tilted his head and stared at Iris. “I can’t imagine why he liked you so much. Personally, I think you’re one of the dullest people I’ve ever met.” He leaned toward her. “Or do you have some kind of special talent?” He winked at her. “Come on, Iris, you can tell me.”
Iris stared at him like a deer caught in the headlights. For a moment, Molly was afraid she was going to pass out.
Julian sat back in the chair. “I hate to break it to you, but whatever the attraction was, it wouldn’t have lasted. Brett wasn’t one for long-term relationships, which is why I knew, when he got tired of you, he’d probably set his sights on her again.”
Molly said, “Are you talking about Helen?”
“God, no,” he said. “I’m talking about Sabrina, daughter of Atlas Dolan, the only woman with a bank account big enough to keep Laurel Wreath in business through good times and bad, and Brett rambling around in this relic of a house. Courtesy of dear old dad, of course.”
“You think all Brett cared about was Sabrina’s money?”
“I don’t think it, I know it, Molly. Brett used most of his savings to get the business up and running, and he had outstanding loans to the bank on both buildings. He was under a lot of pressure financially, although you’d never know it, talking to him. Brett was the eternal optimist. He always thought things would work themselves out. Which is why, when Sabrina applied for the job of sales associate, he was certain everything was going to get better. He’d get Atlas to sign on with him to hold an auction, and give him, and Laurel Wreath, the attention he felt was his due. Of course, to do that he had to get Sabrina on his side, which wasn’t hard to do. She fell for him hard and fast.”
“Did that disgust you? The way he used her, how she fell for him?”
“Yeah, of course it did,” he said. “I liked Sabrina, really liked her, and I hated to see her get hurt.”
“So did you kill Brett to make sure she didn’t go running back to him, or . . . ?”
“First of all, I didn’t do it alone.” Julian pointed the gun at her midsection. “I warned Sabrina about you. I told her how you’ve worked with the police before. I said we should hold off for a while on killing Brett, because you’d be too close to it, and the last thing we needed was you sticking your nose in. Turns out, telling her about you only got her more excited about doing it. Sabrina loves a challenge. And you, Molly, became her challenge.”
“It wasn’t much of a challenge to figure out Brett’s death wasn’t a suicide. I knew it right away. And once the medical examiner did the autopsy, the truth about the ketamine came out. Where did you get it?”
“Sabrina bought it on the street,” he said. “Amazing what you can buy if you have the money. But the manner of death wasn’t the important thing about the execution. It was the game she wanted to play.”
“Murder Mystery,” Molly said.
Julian smiled. “Well done, Molly. I told Sabrina you’d figure it out,” he said. “What was the clincher? Was it killing him in the kitchen with the rope, or was it the purple pawn for Mr. Mulberry? Personally, I thought the purple pawn was a nice touch. When Brett talked to people about antiques, he often sounded like he was a schoolteacher.”
“I don’t understand how you could kill him,” Molly said. “No matter what he’d done to Sabrina, you’ve known him a long time. You moved here to work with him. He was your friend.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed. “He was never my friend,” he said. “And I only moved here because he promised to make me a partner in two years. But he lied. I’ve been at Laurel Wreath for five years, and every time I reminded him about the partnership, he’d say maybe next year. I did everything at the shop, Molly. He couldn’t have run it without me. To top it off, he flirted with and teased and used the one girl I liked. He manipulated her, because all he cared about was Laurel Wreath and his own success. He didn’t care about Sabrina, Helen, me, you, or Iris. Sabrina asked for my help to kill him, and I gladly did it. I have no regrets.”
Molly had listened in hopeless horror. There was no coming back from this. Julian had willingly helped Sabrina. And he’d told them they were the loose ends that needed tying up. But what exactly had they known? Molly knew it no longer mattered. She had to think of something. But she couldn’t think what to do, other than to keep him talking.
“What about Jasper? Where did he fit into this?”
Julian was about to reply, but he got up suddenly and looked out the window. Molly heard the sound of a car coming down the gravel driveway. Please, God, let it be the police. But Julian didn’t run away, or panic, and she knew this was a bad sign. There wasn’t going to be any rescue. He went to the front door and unlocked it. Sabrina walked in, and Molly’s heart sank.
Chapter 28
Julian conferred quietly with Sabrina in the foyer, but his eyes, and the gun, never wavered from Molly and Iris. As they spoke, Iris whispered to her, “I’m scared.” Molly took her hand and squeezed it. She wanted to tell her not to worry, but the truth was, she was scared, too. She had no idea how they were going to get out of this situation alive. Sabrina showing up was going to make it harder to get away. She released Iris’s hand as Sabrina and Julian came into the room.
Sabrina said, “You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here.” She sat in the Windsor chair that Julian had vacated. “Julian called me and told me you were at Laurel Wreath looking for something.” She smiled. “I told him I was tired of the game and it was time to end it.”
Molly looked at Julian. “Where did you get the gun?”
“I keep it in the Mini’s glovebox,” he said. “I called Sabrina after I got you to leave, and she said she’d meet me and we’d kill you together when you came back. But then I saw both your cars here, so I called Sabrina again and let her know where I’d be.”
Molly turned to Sabrina. “So, you’re a team, are you? Did you inject Brett with the ketamine? Did you hang him from the beam in his kitchen? And what about Jasper? Did you stab him?”
Sabrina’s smile vanished. “You should watch your mouth,” she said. “I have the power to kill you.”
“Actually, it’s Julian who has the power, since he has the gun,” Molly said.
Sabrina shook her head. “You really are something. Julian did warn me about you. But I’m not the one who’s about to be killed, so show me a little respect.”
“You won’t get away with this, either of you,” Molly said. “The ketamine alone will sink you. You think you’re clever, but buying a drug illegally won’t guarantee your safety. The police have confidential informants, and believe me, someone will remember you, and they’ll turn you over to get themselves out of the hot water they’ll find themselves in. It’s only a matter of time.” A look of doubt flitted across Sabrina’s face. Molly pressed on. She had nothing to lose. “Why did you kill Jasper?”
“That idiot?” Sabrina spat. “He was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. I didn’t even know who he was until he told us, and we had no idea he’d kidnapped Helen. He just showed up here that morning looking for Brett. Walked right in on us, and saw the body. Julian had brought his gun, in case hanging Brett proved to be a problem, and he told Jasper he’d shoot him if he didn’t get into the trunk of his car.”
Julian chuckled. “Put a gun to someone’s head and they’ll do anything. He got right in. Then all I had to do was go to Laurel Wreath to get the Dahlgren Bayonet knife, and drive Jasper’s car to the woods.”
“I followed him,” Sabrina said. “Poor Jasper. He begged for his life, but we couldn’t let him live.”
“That’s right,” Julian said. “It wasn’t our fault he showed up when he did.”
They’re both insane, Molly thought.
Sabrina said, “I found the cookie jars. They were right here, on the fireplace mantel. I took all of them. Did you like your little lamb, and the flashlight?” She laughed like a crazy person. “I would have loved to have seen your face, and Holt’s, when you opened those boxes. Of course, you probably tri
ed to figure out what it meant, because you’re somewhat intelligent. Holt wouldn’t have a clue. He’s got a lot of big muscles, but his brain is about the size of a pea.”
Molly heard Iris moan. Her legs were shaking so badly, she put her hands on her knees to quiet them. Sliding forward on the seat cushion a little, she planted her feet firmly on the floor. She had to be ready to tackle Julian for the gun. She wasn’t going to let them kill her and Iris.
“Tell us, Molly,” Sabrina said, leaning toward her. “Do you think of all the cases you’ve helped the police solve, our two murders were the most interesting?”
Molly stared at her. “You know what I think? I think I’m sick and tired of people pointing guns at me. You think you’re the first to threaten my life? Get in line.” She shook her head. “You’re pathetic, both of you, and your attempts to be clever are juvenile. Sabrina, you killed Brett because you couldn’t have him, and you were jealous of Iris. You used the cookie jars and a board game to try to frame her for his murder. And Julian, you’ve been played. You can go on and on about how Brett didn’t care about Sabrina, or Helen, or you, but the truth is, you can’t see the truth staring you in the face. You can’t see it’s Sabrina who doesn’t care about you, that she’s used you to do her dirty work. Sure, she might have procured the ketamine, but you were the one who injected Brett with it and hanged him, and you’re the one who stabbed Jasper. And now Sabrina’s going to make you kill me and Iris, because she can’t do it herself.”
Sabrina jumped up out of the chair. “Shut up!” she screamed.
Molly knew she was in dangerous territory, but if she could get Sabrina angry enough, Sabrina might try to grab the gun from Julian, which would give her a brief moment to try to get the gun away from them.
Sabrina turned to Julian. “Kill them in the basement. We’ll leave their bodies there to rot.”
