On her way back up to her condo, Connie checked the mail and found Gertrude seated in an armchair and holding court with some residents. They were discussing Allister’s murder.
Gertrude extended an arm to Connie as she walked by with her mail. “Connie, come here sweetie. How are you doing? You must be devastated about what happened on Thursday night.”
Connie gave her a light one-armed hug and flashed the other women the friendliest smile she could manage. She didn’t want to show her full level of concern in front of the others, so as not to scare them off from her shop. Fortunately, it appeared as though Gertrude hadn’t brought up the fact that Allister was killed with her pliers.
Connie broke free as quickly as she could politely manage, and brought Ginger upstairs, narrowly avoiding getting embroiled in neighborhood gossip.
With the help of some sweet-scented doggie shampoo, Ginger was smelling like her old self in no time. Connie gave her a rawhide bone as a reward for being good during her bath, then booted up her laptop and opened Jerry’s class registration form, where his address was listed. He and Liz lived in Unit 1010. Perfect. She felt a passing twinge of guilt since she was supposed to be using her afternoon off to clear her mind of anything related to Just Jewelry and Allister’s murder, but what Grace didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
Connie put some chicken and potatoes in the oven to bake and tossed a small salad. When the chicken and potatoes were cooked, she turned off the oven and left them inside to stay warm while she paid Jerry a visit. She took the elevator up three floors, and within a few minutes, she was standing in front of Unit 1010. Jerry must have been on his way out, because he immediately opened the door with his car keys in hand. He stared at Connie as if in a daze.
“Jerry,” she said, “I’m sorry to stop by unannounced. I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing after everything that happened Thursday night. I’m sure you heard about Allister McCue.”
An attractive woman with a dark bob, who Connie assumed to be his wife, Liz, appeared behind Jerry, and it suddenly occurred to Connie that Liz wasn’t supposed to know about his jewelry-making class, since he was making a necklace for her as a surprise anniversary gift.
“Who is it, honey?” Liz asked.
Trying to think fast on her feet, Connie said the first thing she could think of. “I’m Connie Petretta, your neighbor from the seventh floor. I was wondering if you owned a gray BMW. There’s a car parked illegally in my spot, and someone told me it might belong to your husband.”
“It’s not mine,” Jerry said. “But I was just leaving. I’ll come down and see if I recognize who it belongs to.”
Luckily, Liz didn’t seem to notice the awkwardness of the conversation. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her gaze seemed distant. Connie wondered if she was upset about what happened to her poetry professor.
“That’s nice of you, dear,” she said, without making eye contact with either Jerry or Connie.
Jerry kissed his wife, then accompanied Connie to the elevator.
“I apologize,” Connie said in a quiet voice, after she heard Liz close the door. “With everything going on, I completely forgot that your wife doesn’t know about the class. I came by to make sure you knew about Allister and to ask you a couple of questions.”
Connie pressed the elevator call button.
“Look,” Jerry said, impatiently staring at the elevator door. “I’m sorry this whole thing is connected to your class, but I don’t really have time to talk about what happened to the professor. It’s too bad it ended that way for him, but, like I told the police, maybe he flirted with some guy’s wife one time too many and paid the price.”
“He flirted with your wife, didn’t he?” Connie asked, looking him in the eyes.
Jerry shifted his weight and checked his watch. “He flirted with anything with a pulse. He thought a lot of himself, but I trust my wife completely.”
The elevator finally arrived, and Connie pressed the buttons for the seventh floor for herself and the lobby for Jerry. “Can I ask where you went after class last Thursday?”
“Where did I go? I don’t have to tell you what I do with my time. It’s not any of your concern.”
The elevator door rolled open on Connie’s floor. She started to exit the elevator when she heard Jerry let out a deep sigh. So she turned to face him.
“Look, Connie, I don’t have anything to hide. I went straight home to an empty house after class. As I told you on Thursday night, my wife was away on business, which is why I was able to keep my surprise and work on the necklace without her knowing about it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere important to be.”
Connie thanked him for his time. “I hope you’ll come to the next class to finish your wife’s gift,” she said.
“I’ll be there. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff,” he said, as the door closed behind her.
A chill ran through Connie’s body. Sweat the small stuff? She didn’t consider murder small stuff. They were talking about a human life, after all. And furthermore, Jerry straight up lied to her. She knew from talking with Paige that Jerry went to Gallagher’s for a beer after class and followed Allister and Paige out of the restaurant.
Unless, of course, Paige had been the one lying, and it wasn’t Jerry who Ruby heard pounding his fist on his car.
Chapter 9
Connie returned to her condo and tried to shake off her bizarre conversation with Jerry, while she pulled the chicken and potatoes out of the oven and made herself a plate. She didn’t learn anything new from talking with him, except that his personality was inconsistent. The Jerry she met tonight was cold-hearted and likely lied about going straight back to Palm Paradise after class. He was a far cry from the man she assisted in lovingly creating an anniversary present for his wife just a few days before.
Since it was too humid to eat on the balcony, Connie set up a TV tray in the air-conditioned living room. She didn’t know whether it was because of the heat or the murder investigation, but the chicken landed in her stomach like rocks. She forced down some water, then pushed the tray to the side. Ginger hopped onto her lap, and her big brown eyes pleaded for some chicken.
“How can I say no to that face?” she said, laughing. Connie gave a few pieces to Ginger before storing her leftovers in a container for lunch tomorrow and placing her dish in the dishwasher.
Then she returned to the blue tufted couch, pulled up her feet, and gazed out to the blue waters below.
Even after spending the past few days questioning everyone in her class, Connie was no closer to discovering the murderer’s identity. Even though some motives were stronger than others, everyone had at least some reason to want Allister out of the picture. With so many plausible suspects, how was she going to zero in on the real killer?
***
While having breakfast on Tuesday morning, Connie noticed the ever-growing stack of mail accumulating on her dining room table. Since the mailboxes at Palm Paradise were tiny, she collected her mail nearly every day, but she usually just dumped it on the table. As she sipped her tea, she decided it was as good a time as any to tackle it.
Fortunately, it mostly contained junk mail and bills that she had already paid online. But at the bottom of the pile was a letter from the Board of Trustees, containing minutes from the final meeting of the fiscal year, and a letter informing owners that everything was running smoothly and that there would be no increase in condo fee this year.
As she glanced at the date of the Trustee meeting and noticed it was the same night that Allister was murdered, she got an idea. If there had been a Trustee meeting that night, then Jessica, the on-site management company employee, would have been working late. Maybe she saw Jerry come in right after class like he said. If she did, that meant he was telling the truth about being at home when Allister was killed and that Paige was the one who was lying. It’s possible that it wasn’t Jerry who Ruby saw on Thursday night. It was a long shot, and Jessica might no
t be willing to talk, but maybe she could help Connie at least clear one suspect. Or move Jerry to the top of her list.
Connie took one long sip to finish off her tea, then glanced at her phone to check the time. Jessica would be in at 8:30, which meant that Connie would have just enough time to speak with her and still make it to Just Jewelry by 9:00. Since Grace didn’t work on Tuesdays, Connie didn’t have any wriggle room in her schedule.
After taking a quick shower and loading her car with her laptop and leftovers for lunch, she took Ginger for her morning walk along Sapphire Beach Boulevard, timing her return so it would be just after 8:30, when she was most likely to catch Jessica in her office.
Jessica had just arrived when Connie knocked on the door to her office. She seemed happier to see Ginger than Connie, but Connie couldn’t take offense.
“I’m so glad you kept this sweet dog,” Jessica said, bending down to scratch the Ginger’s head. “She and Concetta were inseparable, and I would miss seeing her around Palm Paradise.”
“That was one of the unexpected perks of moving to Sapphire Beach and opening my own shop,” Connie said. “My life back in Boston wouldn’t have permitted me to keep a pet.”
“Yes, that reminds me,” Jessica said. “I promise I will stop by your shop after work one day. I have heard wonderful things about it. Especially from Gertrude,” Jessica added with a chuckle.
“I should put Gertrude on payroll,” Connie said. “She saves me a fortune in advertising.”
Since Connie didn’t have a lot of time, she steered the conversation toward the purpose of her visit. “I finally had a chance to read the minutes from the Trustees meeting on Thursday night.”
“Was there a problem with them?” Jessica asked, taking a seat behind her mahogany desk while Connie settled in to one of the black leather chairs facing Jessica. “I thought everyone would be happy that the condo fee will remain the same for the upcoming fiscal year.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Connie said. “That wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Jessica gave Connie a quizzical look.
“Let me explain. You may have heard about the murder of Allister McCue.”
“Yes, the professor over at Florida Sands. What a tragedy.”
“Ironically, Allister was a student in my jewelry-making class. He attended class last Thursday just a couple of hours before he was killed.” She decided not to mention that her pliers were the murder weapon.
“I’m so sorry, Connie,” Jessica said. “That’s awful. But I don’t see what that has to do with me or the Trustee meeting.”
“It’s connected in a roundabout way. Since Allister spent the last hours of his life in my store, and was a valued student, I have been asking around a little bit, trying to get to the bottom of what happened.”
Jessica smiled and playfully shook her head. “Of course you have. You can’t seem to stay away from a mystery, can you?”
Connie looked thoughtfully at Jessica. “I wouldn’t put it that way. It’s more like they can’t stay away from me.”
“Fair enough,” Jessica said. “But I still don’t see what this has to do with the meeting.”
“You may have some information that can help me,” Connie said. “Jerry Morrison in 1010 was also a student in my class. By the way, don’t mention it in front of his wife, because he is taking the class in secret to make her a necklace for their upcoming anniversary.”
Jessica made a motion with her fingers, signifying that she was locking her lips and throwing away the key.
“Anyway, Jerry clearly disliked Allister for reasons it’s not worth getting into now.”
Jessica didn’t press Connie for a reason.
“But since you were here late that night for the meeting, I was wondering if you saw him return home, and if so, what time it was. Jerry told me that he came straight home from my class, but I don’t think he did.”
Jessica nodded and appeared to be thinking about it. “I do agree with you that Jerry hasn’t been himself lately. He has been visibly preoccupied. But I don’t think I’m comfortable spying on residents, especially in their home. The lobby is part of Palm Paradise, and we want everyone to feel like it’s an extension of their home.”
Connie had been afraid Jessica was going to take that position, but she thought she’d give it one last attempt. “It isn’t exactly spying. It’s not like you were hiding in your office and eavesdropping on conversations. It’s just that you have a clear view of the lobby from here,” Connie said, turning around to point at the floor to ceiling windows that made up the wall between Jessica’s office and the lobby. “And this information could point me in the right direction. If you saw Jerry come home right after class, then I would know he is innocent. But if not, it’s at least worth investigating.”
Jessica appeared to consider the situation. “Well, you were helpful in solving those murderers back in January…”
“Helpful?” Connie said, pretending to be insulted. “I single-handedly solved them. Palm Paradise owes me this favor.”
Jessica raised her palms toward Connie. “Okay, you’re very convincing. I left Palm Paradise really late last Thursday. I rarely work that late, but the Trustees meeting got postponed a couple of times, so they didn’t meet until the very end of June. I wanted to get the minutes typed up and the letter written, so we could get it into residents’ mailboxes the next morning. Jerry was just getting home as I was leaving Palm Paradise - about 11:30 on Thursday night. He looked disheveled and upset about something. I tried to ask him how he was, but he just grunted and walked straight past me.” Jessica let out a deep sigh. “I certainly hope Jerry is not the killer. Palm Paradise doesn’t need any more bad publicity after what happened in January.”
Connie couldn’t disagree with that.
Chapter 10
After her conversation with Jessica, Connie arrived at work without a minute to spare and opened the shop at 9:00 sharp. She was prepared for a slow day, since the weather app on her phone indicated that the temperature would reach the mid-nineties with high humidity and a threat of thunder showers throughout the day. Typical southwest Florida weather for the month of July. She decided to take a break from the sapphire-blue necklace she had been working on and to spend the day making some earrings. They would provide a nice break from the more involved necklace.
Throughout the morning, she made solid progress creating three pairs of earrings with extra beads that she had on hand, in between posting on social media and waiting on the occasional customer. By late morning, she was ready for a break, so she poured herself some iced tea and stood by one of her display windows watching the bathing-suit-clad passersby carrying coolers, umbrellas, and beach bags on their way to enjoy a day in the sun.
Behind a group of beachgoers, Connie spotted Gallagher heading toward his restaurant. When he saw Connie standing in the window, he shifted his direction and came into Connie’s shop.
“It looks like it’s going to be a slow day downtown,” he said with a friendly smile.
“I think you’re right. Although I can’t say I mind all that much. I could use a quiet day to make some jewelry. I’m trying to fill my storage room with product during the summer months to be ready for the return of the snowbirds and tourists.”
“Sounds like good planning.”
Connie led him to the seating area and offered him an iced tea.
“No thanks. I can’t stay long, but I will sit down for a few minutes.”
Connie got a bottle of water from the fridge. “At least take this. I’m finding it’s nearly impossible stay well-hydrated this time of year.”
He smiled and accepted the water. “Say, I’ve been meaning to ask you how your investigating is going.”
Connie shrugged. “Not that great. Basically, everyone who was in my class on Thursday night, except for my friends, of course, seem to have some type of motive and no alibi. I do have my suspicions, but you can’t take suspicions to the police. I would need s
omething more solid before talking to Josh or Zach.”
“Like evidence, you mean? Yeah, those darn police detectives are sticklers for evidence,” he said with a playful smile.
There was something about Gallagher’s demeanor that always managed to bring a smile to Connie’s face. He had a way about him that made it easy for her to relax and be herself.
“What about the young woman who the victim was hitting on in my restaurant?” he asked.
“That was Paige. She’s a graduate student and was Allister’s teaching assistant. She is still on my list, but it turns out he wasn’t trying to date her. He was trying to get into her good graces, because he was dating her mother.”
“Interesting. But still, she seemed to dislike him. A lot.”
“That’s why she’s still on my list. Who knows how far she might have gone if she felt she needed to protect her mother? But my biggest suspect at this point is a guy named Jerry Morrison from Palm Paradise.” Connie told Gallagher about Jerry’s behavior in and after class, what Mary Ann said about his confrontation with Allister while dropping his wife off for class, and her experience talking with him the night before. “Even Jessica, the condo management employee at Palm Paradise, agreed that he has seemed out of sorts lately. And she saw him return home late Thursday night, which would have given him enough time to commit the murder.”
“Hmmm, sounds like a definite possibility.”
“Gallagher,” Connie said, snapping her fingers as she remembered something she wanted to ask him. “Paige claimed that Jerry was at your bar while she and Allister were eating last Thursday, and that Jerry left right behind them. She said he followed them out of the restaurant. Do you happen to remember seeing him? He’s probably in his mid-fifties, medium build with brown hair, graying around his temples.”
Gallagher narrowed his eyes and looked toward the ceiling. “I remember that the bar was busy that night, so I was backing up my bartender. There was a guy who fits that description sitting at the bar. I remember him, because he was staring at his glass of beer and looked to be a million miles away. I sometimes try to make small talk with customers, but this guy clearly didn’t want any part of a conversation, so I left him alone.”
Sapphire Beach Cozy Mystery Collection Page 41
