Murder So Sinful

by Eileen Curley Hammond

  “Anything else?”

  “Yes. There was some sort of messy situation up in Urbana when she left, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was. Does this help? Was it worth the price of the banana bread?”

  “Definitely. It gives me a lot more information than I had before. Thanks.” I silently toasted her with my teacup and made my way back to my house.

  Wrapping the rest of the banana bread in wax paper, I went upstairs to get dressed. I texted Rob: “Belinda Harper, parish in White Horse. Suzie Krump, the Purple Plum in Urbana.”

  “You work fast. I haven’t finished my first cup of coffee yet. Thanks for info. See you later.”

  Finished dressing, I took a quick look at my schedule for the day. Seeing I had lunch free, I asked Patty to meet me at the Morning Pastry at noon.

  Smiling, I hurried out the door, setting the alarm as I left.

  On the way to work, I stopped by one of my client’s houses. A tree limb had fallen through her kitchen window the previous week, and I wanted to check she was satisfied with how her claim was being handled.

  She took me into the kitchen. “I was so happy with how everything worked. The company cut me a check on the spot and recommended a great contractor. You can see it’s all fixed, and they even matched where the tile had been cracked around the window.”

  “It looks great. You can’t even tell the tree was there.”

  “Thanks, Merry. Situations like these are why I like doing business with you.”

  I grinned. “I’m happy you’re happy.”

  Continuing on to work, the rest of the morning was uneventful. Leaving a few minutes before noon, I hurried down the block to the Morning Pastry. Patty was waiting outside, and as I approached she pantomimed looking at her watch.

  “I am just in time.”

  “According to my watch, you are one minute late.”

  “What’s one minute between friends?”

  “True. Inside or out?”

  “Out works, if you don’t think it’s too cold.”

  She smiled. “No. Plus, it means we won’t have a lot of people joining us.”

  We went inside to order. Standing in line, we watched the staff behind the counter prepping food for other diners. Gloria glided effortlessly past, carrying what looked to be a fifty-pound bag of flour on her shoulder.

  “That is one strong lady,” Patty said.

  I nodded. “Sure is.” We took our drinks and told Suzie we’d be out on the porch.

  Suzie laughed. “You are intrepid souls. I’ll bring the food out when it’s ready.”

  Patty and I sat at one of the corner tables. “How’s the love life?” she asked.

  “Confusing.”

  “How so?”

  “I’ve been seeing a lot of Rob lately, and I have a date with John on Saturday.” I twisted my napkin.

  “Why is that confusing?”

  “Rob is still convinced John is the prime suspect for Ben Ford’s murder.”

  “Awkward.”

  “Slightly.”

  Concerned, she touched my shoulder. “Should you be dating a prime suspect? I hope you’re meeting him where there are a lot of people around.”

  “Patty, he’s our school superintendent. If he’s the murderer, we’ve got a lot more to worry about.”

  “Where are you going on your date?”

  “His house.”

  “His house? Will there be other people there?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  Her eyes widened. “Is that wise?”

  “I doubt I will be in any trouble. The man is hardly going to do anything in his own house. It wouldn’t be very smart, and John is a smart man.”

  “So nothing will happen?” Patty wiggled her eyebrows.

  I grinned. “Nothing bad at least.”

  Suzie shoved the door open with her hip and carried the tray over to our table. “Patty, you had the chopped salad and, Merry, the chicken salad with grapes. Both with dressing on the side, right?”

  Patty said, “Right as always!”

  Suzie put the plates down. “Suzie, we are so lucky you opened up here,” I said. “I heard that you used to have a place in Urbana.”

  She gave me a strange look. “That’s right.”

  “Not that I’m complaining, but why’d you move? Urbana’s a bigger town than this. I would think you’d have a larger customer base.”

  “I get plenty of customers here, and I like small towns better. You can see trouble coming quicker. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back inside. This is our busy time.” Suzie quickly left the table but paused by the door to give me a long look.

  Patty asked, “What the heck was that all about?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You’re still investigating Ben’s death, aren’t you?”

  “Potentially.”

  “Didn’t you learn your lesson? Aren’t you worried about Jenny? Sometimes I really wonder about you.” Patty shook her head as she dug into her salad.

  After lunch, I returned to the office and kept my head down the rest of the day. Rob stopped by at five, and I quickly wrapped things up.

  He asked, “What do you feel like tonight?”

  “I don’t really want to go out tonight. I defrosted some of my Aunt Janet’s macaroni and cheese this morning, if you don’t mind leftovers.”

  “I love leftovers. Does your Aunt Janet live around here?”

  “No. Aunt Janet taught my mom the recipe, and the name stuck. I can assure you, it’s tasty.”

  I texted Jenny, “Would you set the table for three and put some rolls in the oven?”

  “If I must.” She softened it with a smiley face.

  While walking to the house, we admired the brick storefronts and street trees, stopping occasionally to look at the window displays.

  Rob glanced around. “I don’t think I realized quite how many antique stores we have.”

  “It’s a tourist draw.”

  “You sound a bit jaded.”

  “Not at all. It’s great to live in a town that’s growing versus being on the decline.”

  “I agree.”

  “Is small-town life what you thought it would be?”

  He smiled at me and gave me a hug. “It’s even better.”

  I grinned up at him. “Getting better all the time.”

  After dinner, he loaded the dishwasher. I objected, but he said, “You cooked.”

  “I microwaved.”

  He laughed. “You cooked the original dish, which you then froze, defrosted, and microwaved. Is that more exact?”

  “Yep.” I cleaned up the kitchen as he continued loading. How domestic. It felt good. “Banana bread and coffee in the living room?”

  “I love banana bread!”

  We settled in the living room. “Let me grab my notes.” He pulled them out of his backpack and flipped through his pad. “Thanks for the text this afternoon. Knowing where Belinda and Suzie came from helped a lot.”

  “What did you find out?”

  “Which one do you want me to start with?”

  “Let’s start with Belinda.”

  Rob scanned his notes. “She previously lived in White Horse.”

  “I know all that.”

  “Don’t be impatient.”

  I smiled. “Patience is not one of my virtues.”

  “Luckily you have so many others to recommend you. Continuing on from where I was so rudely interrupted—Belinda worked for a parish in White Horse. I checked with some of my sources, and it appears there was some trouble when she was there.”

  “What happened?”

  “Some money went missing from the rectory.”

  I blinked in shock. “Do they know she took it?”

  “She was never charged. And, since she ended up here working for Father Tom, I would think the odds would be that she didn’t steal it. I’m assuming priests talk, and Father Tom would have checked her references.”

  “One would think. Wha
t about Suzie?”

  “I’ll tell you in just a minute. This banana bread is calling my name.” He broke off a piece and chewed it, an expression of bliss appearing on his face. “I told you I loved banana bread, and this is terrific.” He sipped some of his coffee. “Where was I? Oh yes, Suzie is an interesting one.”

  “How so?”

  “Trivia moment—did you know she was a college softball star and her batting average was .730? Quite impressive.” He mimed tossing a ball in the air and swinging at it.

  I stared at him.

  Disappointment crept into his features. “Okay, back to work. You know she ran another restaurant, the Purple Plum, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Someone was killed there.”

  “What?”

  “Yes. Poisoned.”

  “By the food?”

  Rob shook his head. “Never proven. The police bagged all of the remaining food from the victim’s plate and had it tested. They didn’t find anything.”

  “What happened?”

  “The case is still unsolved. But after the murder, Suzie’s restaurant also died. People were nervous and stopped coming.”

  “I can see why she wouldn’t want that known here. Patty and I had lunch there today.” I shivered.

  Rob eyed me. “Why did you eat there?”

  “It was close, they have good food, and there’s a place to sit outside.”

  “No other reason?”

  “I thought it might be good to ask Suzie a few questions.”

  “And?”

  “She admitted she had a restaurant in Urbana prior to this one.”

  Rob shifted uneasily. “I don’t think quizzing her was such a great idea.”

  “I don’t want you to do all of the heavy lifting. We’re a team.”

  “We are. You found out where they lived previously, and I was looking into finding out why they moved. If Suzie was being blackmailed by Ben, it’s safe to say she didn’t want anyone here to know about her past. And she may have killed to keep people from finding out. You could be in danger, and that makes me very concerned.”

  “I promise I won’t knowingly put myself in danger.”

  “No fingers crossed?”

  “No fingers crossed.”

  He kissed me then. It was slow and sweet and made me tingle all the way to my toes. Wow. I’ve missed this. Kissing him back, I pressed him farther into the sofa.

  A moment later, Jenny’s voice rang out. “Get a room.”

  Jumping up, I patted my hair back into place. Jenny stood at the bottom of the stairs grinning at me. I blushed. “Rob was just leaving.”

  Jenny smiled. “Sure looked like it.”

  Rob put his notes into his backpack. “Good to see you, Jenny.” Pulling me out onto the porch with him, he kissed me softly. “To be continued. Remember your promise.”

  “I will.”

  I went back into the house. “Could you make a little more noise coming down the stairs?”

  “I didn’t know I needed to. And I thought we didn’t like reporters.”

  I smiled. “This one we definitely like.”

  Chapter 17

  I woke up the following morning feeling great. Completing my exercises with the right amount of vigor, I sat down with my oatmeal breakfast feeling virtuous. As I scanned my calendar for the day, I saw lunch was free. I called Father Tom and left a voice mail asking if he’d care to have lunch with me at the Golden Skillet. I figured I wasn’t breaking my promise if I talked to Father Tom.

  Cheryl stuck her head in the door at ten and said Father Tom agreed to meet me at noon. Leaving a few minutes early, I strolled to the restaurant. After I was seated, I saw Father Tom’s head appear over the red pleather booths, and I gave him a wave.

  He shook my hand as he sat. “It’s lovely to see you, Merry. Was there something in particular I can help you with?”

  “I wanted to check on Jenny’s penance. I know she completed it, but I wanted to make sure you felt she served in the appropriate way.”

  “Yes, she did. And you should know I had several conversations with both her and Cindy, and they agreed the penance fit the crime.”

  “I’m glad. I appreciate you taking the time to help them.”

  “It’s part of my calling.” He studied me with his kind brown eyes. “How are you doing?”

  “Well.”

  “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since I saw you at Mass with Rob Jenson. That was a bit of a surprise.”

  “I know. He’s kind of taken me by surprise as well.”

  “He seems like such a nice man. It’s good to see you getting out again after all of that mess with Drew. You deserve to be happy.”

  “I appreciate that, Father. More than you can know.”

  “Just let me know if you want to start annulment proceedings. I would be glad to support you.”

  I blinked in shock. “I think it’s a bit too soon for that.”

  “It’s been four years, Merry.”

  “I know, but there’s Jenny. I’m not sure how she would feel about me having my marriage annulled.”

  “I’m sure she wants nothing more than for you to be happy.”

  “She probably has a few other things on her list, but I know deep down that’s true.” The conversation was definitely taking a turn I did not expect. Feeling flustered, I tried to figure out the best way to bring up Belinda. I patted his hand. “Thank you, Father. You are always so kind to all of us. I hope you feel your parish is a close-knit one.”

  “I do, and that’s why I love serving here.”

  “It must be nice having a good helper in Belinda.”

  “She does do such a good job. I’m lucky to have her.”

  “She’s been with you for about five years now?”

  He smiled. “That’s right. I stole her from another parish in White Horse. I was substituting for an ill priest when I met her and saw what a great job she was doing. It was just my luck that six months later she reached out looking for a move.”

  “Why did she decide to leave?”

  “Because of my sterling personality and wit.” He laughed. “No. Actually, I think it was because she wanted to be closer to some of her relatives.” He paused for a beat and then stood. “It really was great to catch up with you, Merry, but I need to get back. Remember what I said about the annulment.”

  I cringed. “I will. And thanks again for all of the help with Jenny.”

  An annulment. That was a big step and one not to be taken lightly. When I took my vows, I meant them. But I hadn’t contemplated Drew would turn out to be a crook who almost took me down with him. Even now I could feel the steam coming out of my ears. Con men are charming! Maybe an annulment would be an important next step to sloughing off my past.

  Cheryl was just leaving as I entered the office. “Bad lunch?”

  I looked up, eyebrows raised. “No, good lunch. Why?”

  “You look like a thundercloud!”

  I made an effort to relax my face. “That better? I was thinking about Drew.”

  “That rat!”

  “He’s out of my life now, and that’s what I’m going to concentrate on.”

  “Good for you. There are some messages on your desk. I’ll be back in forty-five.”

  As I dove into work, my tension eased. At five thirty I looked up and was surprised to see Rob standing there. “Did I miss something?”

  “No, I did. You.”

  A slow smile spread across my face. “And I missed you!”

  “Let’s go for a quick drink. I need some fortification before the town council meeting.”

  “I aim to please. Let me text Jenny I’ll be a little late.”

  That done, we left for the Pickled Herring. I ordered a glass of Merlot and Rob ordered their special, Pastoral Pumpkin Ale.

  I shook my head. “How do they come up with these names?”

  “It’s all in the alliteration. It sure tastes good, though.” He took a long sip
.

  “Guess who I had lunch with today?”

  “Who?”

  “Guess!”

  “It better not be one of our suspects.”

  “It wasn’t. I had lunch with Father Tom.”

  “Close enough.”

  “But not enough to break my promise to you.”

  “True. But skating kind of close. What did the good father have to say?”

  “It was more what he didn’t say. I don’t think he ran a background check on Belinda.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he met her when visiting another parish and liked her work. If you had the chance to experience someone’s work habits personally, would you even bother to run a check on them?” I sipped my wine.

  “I might. Did you ask him?”

  “No, I didn’t want him to catch on to the fact that I wasn’t just making conversation.”

  “That’s smart. I was thinking about going over to Urbana tomorrow to see if I can get any more background on Suzie Krump. And now, sadly, I need to leave. Dinner on Saturday?”

  I gulped. “Uh, unfortunately, I have a prior engagement.”

  His eyebrows slowly rose. “Church on Sunday with brunch after? Invite Jenny too.”

  “That sounds great.”

  He gave me a peck on the cheek as he put money on the bar and left. I was in big trouble.

  I texted Patty as I went home, asking her to meet me later. When I entered the house, Jenny was sprawled on the sofa. All of her electronic devices surrounded her. “Sloppy Joes for supper?”

  She nodded, and I started browning the beef. After a few minutes, she wandered into the kitchen and set two places at the kitchen counter. “How was school?”

  “Fine.”

  “Classes going okay?”

  “A lot of work but fine. Can I ask you a question?” She sat at the counter.

  “Of course.”

  “I heard from one of the Ziebold boys you’re still investigating Ben Ford’s death. Wasn’t it bad enough someone broke into our house? Why is solving this so important? Why would you put us at risk?”

  I sat next to her. “Someone shouldn’t be able to get away with murder.”

  “But why you? Why can’t you let the police handle it?”

  “The police are handling it. I’m just helping where I can. Mr. Jenson is helping too.”

  She looked down. “I just want us to be safe.”