Laura Bishop Cozy Mystery Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Grace Topping

  A door slammed, and I looked up to see Chris take a seat. Dressed in an orange prisoner uniform, he looked so unlike the man I’d recently met. His expression was rather sheepish, and he appeared drained of the liveliness I’d seen in him before.

  “This sure is awkward,” he said. “When we first met and you told me your family name was Channing, I sure didn’t think it would lead to this.”

  “It was a surprise for me as well,” I said.

  “So where do we go from here? I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure what to say.”

  “Same here. I’m still trying to register that my…our father isn’t dead, which I thought all these years.”

  He frowned. “Have you come here to check out your new convict brother?”

  I studied him, wondering how all of this was affecting him. “I wanted to see if you were okay. I know it must be difficult for you to be in here and so far away from your home—and family.”

  He seemed to be considering that. “You might as well ask the question you’re probably dying to ask.”

  I played dumb. “Which is?” I hoped he was referring to how we had the same father and didn’t know it before.

  “Whether I killed Beth.”

  I was afraid that is what he meant. I gulped and didn’t say anything.

  “I’ll save you the discomfort of asking me that. No, I didn’t. You don’t know me, so there is no reason you should believe me. But I hope you will take my word that I didn’t.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what happened. That is if you want to talk about it.”

  “Sure. I have nothing better to do at the moment.”

  “How did you and Beth meet?” That might be a good opening topic.

  A smile briefly crossed his face, as though he were picturing a happy memory. “We met working on another production crew. One that involved food competitions. At the end of filming each day, we got to taste some of the prepared food. After sitting under hot lights, most of it we didn’t dare touch. But dishes made later in the day were usually okay. On one occasion, Beth and I reached for the same plate at once. It was one of those you take it, no you take it things. Since it was the last one, we decided to split it. After that, we got to know each other better, as you do when you work with the same people day after day.

  “Beth….” A pained expression crossed his face at the use of her name. “Beth was from the Midwest. She had such a sweet manner and was a lot of fun to be around. We immediately started going places together, not dating, more like good friends.”

  “Someone said she left that production company to join this one and that you followed her.”

  He took a deep breath. “That sounds bad, considering what happened to her.”

  “Why did she move to another company?”

  “We started dating and became more attached. I came to care for her—and I believed she felt the same way. Then something happened to her sister back home. She wouldn’t talk about it, and shortly after that, she broke up with me and quit the company. Later I learned she’d joined this one. When I discovered they needed another cameraman, I applied for the job.”

  “How did she react to that?”

  “She wasn’t pleased about it. Something had changed with her, and I couldn’t stand not knowing what it was. I worried about her. There was a hardness about her that hadn’t been there before. She even changed how she dressed and started wearing those frumpy clothes. It was as though she didn’t want to show how attractive she was.”

  “So the way she dressed wasn’t as she’d dressed before?”

  “Far from it. That and other things made me want to know what had caused her to change like that. I also needed to know why she’d turned her back on us when I thought we’d been so good together. Something was wrong, and I wanted to help her.”

  “At the meet and greet, I saw you and Beth arguing by the elevators. What was that all about? Apparently, someone told the police.”

  “You saw that? Pretty embarrassing. Simon kept coming on to her, which angered me. I was afraid she was too naive to realize what a womanizer he was. He went after every woman who came along. I saw him talking to her earlier and thought they were setting up a time to get together. I made the mistake of trying to warn her off.”

  “Did you have reason to believe she welcomed his attention?” I’d found Simon’s attention unnerving, but I was older and seen more than my fair share of men like Simon.

  “She told me to mind my own business—that just because we’d once dated didn’t give me any right to tell her what to do or preach to her.”

  “So what did you do after that?” I was surprised he was so open with me, especially since I sounded like I was grilling him.

  “I went back to the hotel. A bunch of us planned to go out for a beer later and agreed to meet in the lobby at eight. I’d hoped Beth would meet us, but she didn’t come. Someone called her cell. When she didn’t answer, I went to her room, thinking she might have fallen asleep and didn’t hear her phone. She wasn’t there, so I called it a night.

  “Later I heard one of the room attendants told the police I’d pounded on her door. I had, but only because I thought she might be asleep and wouldn’t hear me otherwise.”

  “So you never saw her again that night?”

  “No. After she didn’t come to the door, I got disgusted and went to my room, probably having far more beers there than I should have. I wasn’t aware she hadn’t returned that night.”

  “Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to harm Beth in any way? Anyone in the crew who might have had something against her?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. I’m fairly new to this crew and don’t know them as well as the last crew I was on.”

  I pursed my lips and sat quietly, collecting my thoughts. Chris looked so forlorn.

  “This may be a real stretch, but when we first got here, Beth pointed out a guy at the hotel she said gave her the creeps. He was either staying at the hotel or was someone who just hung out in the lobby. She said he’d approached her a couple of times, wanting to buy her a drink. Every time she went in or out of the hotel, he always seemed to be in the lobby. It was as though he were waiting for her.”

  “Do you have any idea of his name, or can you describe him?”

  Chris paused for nearly a full minute, frowned, and then shook his head. “I wish I could remember. Beth pointed him out to Sam and me on one occasion, but I don’t remember him well enough to describe him accurately. He seemed of average height with dark hair. Dressed like he was here on business. You know, with a suit and tie—not dressed like he was an employee or workman at the hotel. Sorry, that’s all I remember.”

  “Did Beth complain to anyone at the hotel about him?”

  “That I don’t know. Sam was with us when she told us about him. Afterward, I saw Sam approach the guy in the bar. I think he may have warned him off.”

  “Thanks. I’ll ask Sam about him and mention it to Detective Spangler.”

  “I hope you’ll believe me that I didn’t kill Beth,” he said. “I cared deeply for her and wouldn’t have done anything to harm her. I can’t bear thinking of what happened to her.”

  “Why do the police think you did it?”

  “The argument we had in front of others. One of the competitors said I’d been aggressive toward Beth. I wasn’t aggressive, just frustrated. The fact I’d followed Beth to this crew. The police viewed it as stalking her, and a note I’d written to her the police said was threatening. I don’t know what else they have.”

  “Did you threaten her?”

  “No way! I just told her she’d regret it. I was referring to her getting involved with Simon.”

  I studied him, now realizing how much he resembled our father in the old photos of him I’d found in the attic. Strange I hadn’t noticed the resemblance before, but I’d no r
eason to consider it then.

  I decided to change the subject. “Were you shocked to learn about me?”

  “Yeah, I was. Pretty strange coincidence that I’d end up here and have occasion to run into you.”

  “I liked you when we met. I guess if I had to pick anyone from the crew to be my brother, I’m glad it was you.”

  That made him smile. “Ted Wojdakowski said you were good people.”

  “You’ve already met with Ted?”

  “Yeah, this morning. Seems like an okay guy. He’s going to have to pull off a miracle to get me out of this mess.”

  “Ted and I grew up together. He’s been like a cousin to me. You can rely on him to do his best for you.”

  “I’m going to need it.”

  “I wish I could help you in some way.” Right now, what the police had sounded like circumstantial evidence. Ted would soon be finding out what else they had.

  “Thank you, Laura. You’ve already helped by coming here today.” Standing, he prepared to walk away. “I wish I knew what was going to happen next.”

  Chapter 24

  Replace worn and mismatched doorknobs, especially on outside entrances. A quality doorknob on the front door helps set the tone for what’s inside.

  My visit with Chris hadn’t been how I envisioned a family reunion, but nothing these days was going as I expected. My shoulders slumped, and I could feel my neck muscles tightening with anxiety, thinking about his situation. So many things were going against him. His note to Beth, even if well intended, was rather damning. I hoped Ted would be able to help him.

  I stood outside the police station, my thoughts going in different directions. I felt helpless as to how I could help Chris. Besides being supportive and perhaps talking to some of the people in the production company who knew Beth and Chris, I didn’t know what I could do. Maybe the members of the production crew could shed some light on the situation. Things they hadn’t thought to tell the police.

  My anxiety levels were also up wondering how Mrs. Webster and Nita were doing. It would be hours before the second aide showed up.

  I shook myself from my reverie and started to walk away when I spotted Detective Spangler coming from the police station parking lot. I could pretend I hadn’t seen him and go the opposite way since I had no wish to face his ire about Mrs. Webster’s plan. But it was too late. He’d already seen me.

  “Hello, Detective Spangler,” I said with the biggest fake smile I could muster.

  He nodded. “Ms. Bishop.” He looked exhausted and more rumpled than usual. Beth’s case must be getting to him. On top of that, he faced the surveillance of Mrs. Webster’s house.

  “Is everything set up for tomorrow when Mrs. Webster will be gone from her home?” I asked.

  “You mean starting tonight? Once Mrs. Webster shows the aides her goods, we can’t wait until tomorrow. With them assuming she’s a defenseless older woman, they could break in tonight and not wait for her to be away. Knowing Mrs. Webster, she’d catch them in the act, corral them, and make a citizens’ arrest.”

  I struggled not to laugh. Detective Spangler was actually showing a glimmer of humor. “I’m sorry….” My voice trailed away, wishing I could say more in defense of our plan.

  “What am I going to do with you?” He shook his head. “You have this way of getting into affairs that can endanger you—and your friends.”

  “I get involved so I can help people I care about—well, and some I don’t necessarily care about.” I thought of Monica Heller, my nemesis from my school days, who had been accused of murder. Sister Madeleine had talked me into helping her.

  Detective Spangler looked back toward the police station. “I suppose you’ve just come from visiting your brother. I’m sorry you’re personally connected to this case.”

  “The last time I saw Chris, neither of us knew we were related. It was a shock for both of us. I wanted to bridge that relationship as much as I could. He’s away from his fam…home, and given what he’s facing, he has to be scared. I wanted to let him know he has more than just his dad here.”

  A pained look crossed his face. “I wish I could give you more hope, but so many things point to him being responsible for Beth Crawford’s death.”

  “But it’s all speculation and innuendo. You have no actual evidence of Chris’s involvement.”

  “Enough for us to hold him.”

  “But surely you need more evidence pointing to him.”

  “It’s natural you’d want to help him, but please leave it to Ted to do whatever he can for Chris.”

  The sympathy in his eyes surprised me. Something I’d never seen there before. He was usually exasperated or angry with me.

  “When I talked to Chris, he told me something that I think you should know about.” I went on to tell him about the man who had approached Beth on several occasions at the hotel.

  He pulled out his notebook and wrote in it. I was relieved he wasn’t going to brush me off about it. “I’ll check it out.”

  “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

  He looked at his watch. “Sorry, I have to get inside the station. I have the sad duty of meeting with Beth’s parents, who just arrived in town. It’s not something I’m looking forward to.”

  I closed my eyes briefly, thinking about the pain they must be experiencing. I started to walk away and then turned back. “Detective, good luck with your meeting and the surveillance.”

  He actually harrumphed. “Let’s hope the only thing I lose for going along with it is some sleep and not my job.”

  I’d no sooner arrived at the parking lot and jumped into my car when I received a text from Will, asking me to meet him at Vocaro’s. I’d called everyone on my team individually about my connection with Chris, especially given his predicament. They would have heard about it eventually, but I wanted the news to come from me. I wondered if Will wanted to talk to me about that.

  I sat enjoying my pumpkin spice latte when Will took the seat across from me. He hadn’t even taken time to grab a drink. The reason he wanted to see me must be urgent. I hoped nothing had gone wrong with a staging project.

  “Hey, Will. I thought you gave riding lessons to aspiring equestrians on Saturdays.”

  “I do. I just come from there.” He pulled his jacket up and sniffed it. “Sorry, I probably smell like it too. There was something I found at the farm that I thought you should see right away.” He rummaged in the plastic bag he carried and pulled out a gray leather-bound notebook, the type frequently used for keeping a journal or travel log.

  I took it from him and leafed through the pages. No name or inscription appeared on the inside cover or the first pages. “Where did you find this, and why do you think I should see it?”

  “It was behind a bale of hay in the barn. I remembered Beth Crawford sitting on the bale the day I took her riding. She sat there while I unbridled and wiped down the horses. She offered to do her horse, but I told her I’d take care of them. The notebook must have fallen out of that big backpack she carried.”

  “I still don’t understand why you think I should see it. Shouldn’t you turn it over to the police instead?”

  “I looked through the first few pages trying to figure out who it belonged to, which was hard since most of it is written with some type of squiggles. There are some names and telephone numbers inside, along with Chris’s, but that’s all I could recognize. As soon as I saw Chris’s name, I thought you might want to see it before turning it over to the police.”

  My heart sank. Could it contain more evidence incriminating Chris? I knew we needed to turn it over to Detective Spangler, but it couldn’t hurt to take a peek at it before giving it to him. This might be my only chance to examine it.

  Later, comfortably settled in bed, I opened Beth’s leather-bound notebook to look through it. It was a quality notebook. I hoped it wasn�
�t a diary. The idea of reading someone’s diary was repugnant to me. But it would be worth it if it helped Chris.

  What I saw puzzled me. Strange strings of symbols that made me think of codes. It also included a list of names with telephone numbers. Dates appeared next to each name, denoting a span of time for each person, most lasting several months. They were in sequence. When the date ended for one person, the next one started immediately afterward.

  No matter how I tried, I couldn’t decipher any of the rest of it. What had been going on in Beth’s life that’d prompted her to use symbols or codes?

  Not getting very far deciphering the entries, I wondered what was happening with Mrs. Webster and Nita and why I hadn’t heard from Nita. When the stress of waiting to hear from her became too much, I texted her.

  What’s happening? Anything?

  No response. I waited and waited, imagining terrible things that could be happening to them. Just when I decided to get dressed and go there, Nita texted back.

  Sorry. Was in the bathroom. Second aide came. Didn’t look too bright. Settling in for the night. Heard from Detective Spangler. Surveillance team in place.

  I hoped they’d get a good night’s sleep. I wouldn’t. Even with Detective Spangler’s surveillance team there, I worried.

  Chapter 25

  Place seasonal plants near the front entrance. Evergreens in winter, mums in autumn, or daffodils in spring. Dress window boxes with clippings of holly, magnolia leaves, or other greenery.

  During church the next morning, my attention frequently strayed from the service to thoughts of what was happening with Mrs. Webster and Nita. Then of Chris and the mystery of Beth’s murder. Worse, lack of sleep the night before caused me to nod off. Jolted awake by loud organ music, I watched as the congregation filed from the church.

  I remained in the pew for a moment of quiet prayer for Chris and especially for Beth and her family. Little thought is often given to the victim’s family left with a tremendous loss.