by Emmie Lyn
“Wow!”
Luke and Rose turned around and smiled. “Now don’t go thinking you’ll kick me out of here, Danielle Rose. Luke has created my dream living space and I won’t be leaving until, well, I don’t even want to talk about that day.”
Luke grinned and gave me a big hug. “What do you think?”
“Perfection.”
“But?”
“Oh,” I waved my hand dismissively, “nothing to do with the apartment. I brought a guest home and I promised her and Pip a walk. Want to come along?” A walk, alone with Pip, was really what I craved but since Marion had already burst that plan, Luke would be a welcome addition.
“Go enjoy the rest of this glorious day.” Rose waved both hands, shooing us out of her apartment. “Heavens only knows when we’ll have such a perfect day again at this time of year. By the way, who is your guest?”
I stopped Luke and turned toward Rose. “Marion Glassman. Get this, she told me that Penny thinks Kelly is the murderer. I have to find out where that idea came from.”
“You think AJ is shielding his sister?” Rose asked.
I nodded, but the thought gave me no satisfaction. “I’ve always wondered that.”
Rose pulled a delicate white shawl around her shoulders, tucked her arm through mine, and said, “I’m coming with you to hear this.”
Pip, sitting in front of the French doors that provided a stunning view of Blueberry Bay, cocked her head when we returned. She’d been patient and I owed her a walk, but it would have to wait a bit longer. “Marion?”
Marion stood behind Pip and didn’t react when I called her name.
“Marion.” I said again and she finally turned her head. “This is my grandmother, Rose, and my fiancé, Luke.”
“Hello, dear,” Rose said with her hand out indicating that Marion should sit down. “Danielle told us what Penny said about Kelly. What’s the accusation based on?”
Marion sat, or, more accurately sagged, onto the edge of the closest chair. Her body tense and fidgety.
Rose wasted no time beating around the bush. I was thankful for that. If there was any basis for this claim against Kelly, it was high time we uncovered it.
With all of us standing and waiting, Marion moistened her lips. She sighed deeply as if she was expelling every last bit of air from her lungs. “What I heard Penny tell my father was that she suspected Kelly was the murderer. Apparently, Penny heard something that led her to believe that the murder revolved around their broken romance. She thinks AJ is only covering for his sister.”
So, I wasn’t the only one with that suspicion.
What now?
I couldn’t tell this to AJ because he’d just confess to the murder to protect Kelly. If they were both innocent, there had to be a clue out there to prove it.
Finding it was the problem.
36
Now that Marion had unburdened herself about Penny’s suspicion regarding Kelly being the real murderer, she was keen to walk along the beach. A new side to her personality bloomed with every step as she chatted to Luke and me about her father, glassblowing, and her hopes for the future with this problem behind them.
Was it, though? I wasn’t convinced, but as I watched Pip dash after the waves and the seagulls dipped and soared above us, I let Marion’s words wash over me until she went silent.
“Marion? I have to ask. Penny’s neighbor saw you take something out of your glove box early yesterday morning.” I laughed flippantly, as if I knew what I was about to suggest was ridiculous. "She thought it was a gun.”
“A gun?” Marion stopped walking and furrowed her brow like she was trying to imagine what the heck I was talking about. Then she laughed, too. “I had one of my father’s reindeer carefully wrapped and stored safely in the glove box. I suppose it’s somewhat the shape of a gun… if someone had a wild imagination.”
It wasn’t a stretch to picture Sadie with an overactive imagination when it came to Penny’s guests. “What did you do with it?”
“I took it inside and gave it to Penny. It was one of the originals that my father made and it was a little different from the final design. I thought she’d like it as a gift for letting us stay at her inn. She didn’t charge us, you know.”
Of course, I wouldn’t know that. “How nice,” I said.
“The problem was, when my father came out and saw me with the reindeer, he went off the deep end. We got into a horrible shouting match because he wanted to keep it. I put my foot down and said I’d already promised it to Penny. I refused to go back on my word. He huffed and puffed like the wolf in the three little pigs before he stomped away on his walk.”
She paused, struggling to keep her emotions in check. “I waited a minute or so—”
I interrupted. “You took a walk first, though, right?” I looked to Luke for his reaction, but he was tossing a stick to Pip and I couldn’t catch his eye.
“No. I watched my father disappear and that’s when Nick drove by.” A sadness flashed across her face. “I was glad when he stopped so I could explain that I’d made a terrible mistake asking him to sell my father’s work and he needed to give all the reindeer and Christmas trees back. I’d promised my father I’d straighten out this mess and I had every intention of doing just that.”
“Where was this conversation?”
“Right in front of the Blue Moon Inn.”
“You didn’t confront Nick at Creative Designs before I saw you that morning?”
“No. I didn’t.” Marion even stamped her foot for emphasis. “Nick refused to return any of the items. I told him he’d broken our agreement by bragging that he’d made everything, but he said he never said that. He flashed his charming smile and added how he couldn’t help it if people made that assumption. He laughed at me and that’s when he told me he never wanted to see me again.”
Marion looked away; the pain evident in her words.
Well that changed everything. If it was all true. I glanced at Luke. He’d been silent during our walk. He raised his eyebrows and returned an I-don’t-know-what-to-think shrug.
I let Marion climb the steps up to Sea Breeze in front of us.
At the top, she spread her arms out and inhaled. “This is a lovely spot. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Did you ever give that special reindeer to Penny?”
“Of course, I did. I try to be a woman of my word. That hasn’t always served me well, but… anyway, after I talked to Nick and went back inside, I didn’t see Penny. So, I just put it on the mantel to surprise her. The bitter cold had chilled me to the bone and the thought of a long hot soak in the clawfoot tub pulled me back to my room. To be honest, I needed to warm up, but I also wanted to wash Nick out of my system once and for all.” I could tell she was still struggling with his memory. “When you saw me at Creative Designs, I’d decided to try once more to get him to change his mind.”
“Did Penny like the reindeer?” I asked.
“She couldn’t have been more excited when she found it. She said her only regret was that my father hadn’t entrusted all of his work for her to sell through her Maine Craftsmen League. I wonder if they’ll work out something now. All I know for sure is that I’ll never work behind his back again. Ever.” Marion stuck her hands in her coat pockets. “That’s strange.”
She pulled out a mitten that matched the one I’d found—dark red with a reindeer pattern.
“Did you lose the mate to that? I found a mitten that exact color and they match your coat perfectly.” I said. At least one mystery was solved.
She flipped the mitten over several times. “This isn’t mine, but I feel like I’ve seen this pattern before.”
“Probably at the open house. I think Penny made it, and I’ve been hoping to find the owner so I can return the one I have.”
Marion handed me the mitten. “You might as well keep them both since I’ll be leaving town soon.” After a pause she quietly added, “Unless I can convince Kelly to sell her gallery.”<
br />
Marion dropped that bombshell like it was an afterthought she’d just considered.
“Why would she do that?” As far as I was concerned, this was crazy talk or some devious plan that somehow connected to this murder in some mysterious way.
She waved her hand dismissively and said. “Oh, I was just thinking out loud in the off chance Kelly can’t keep running the gallery. You know, because of what Penny said.” A nervous giggle ended her explanation.
Right. And apparently Marion had hoped for that outcome for her own benefit. Interesting. Instead of pursuing that angle, I brought the conversation back to the lost mittens. “How did it get in your coat pocket?”
Marion shook her head. “No idea. I did take my coat off at the open house. Maybe someone found the mitten near my coat.” She held her arm next to the mitten in my hand. “It’s weird how the dark reds match so perfectly.” She shrugged and added, “It wouldn’t be a leap for someone to assume they belonged together and tucked it in my pocket.”
“Possible,” I answered. “I’m planning to head back to town now and can bring you back to the Blue Moon Inn.” I’d had about enough of Marion Glassman and her constantly changing personalities.
Luke hadn’t said anything so far. I wondered if he’d even been listening. He opened the French doors for us to enter and then I had my answer. As I passed him, he whispered, “Something doesn’t add up, and I can tell you picked up on it, too.”
Relieved that I had a witness to the conversation, I said, “I’d like to find Kelly.” I kept my eye on Marion and Rose chatting out of earshot. “I have to let her know about these rumors before they get out of control and take on a life of their own. The last thing she needs right now is any negative light shining on her or her business.”
“Do you think there’s any merit to what Marion just told us?”
“I hope not, but I still need to process everything that she said. I feel like I’m missing something really important.”
“I felt that, too. Want me to come with you?”
“In my MG? With Marion and Pip?” I grinned at the image of Luke squished behind the two front seats, his knees tucked under his chin. No, I couldn’t do that to him. “How about you finish up here and meet me in town when you can.”
“Are you sure?”
I swatted his arm playfully. “What? You don’t think Pip and I can look out for ourselves?”
“That’s not at all what I meant, and you know it.” A shadow crossed his face. “I’ll come as soon as I can,” he said.
I gave Luke a hug and a peck on his cheek. I didn’t want him to worry about me; I did just fine with that on my own.
37
I dropped Marion off at the Blue Moon Inn and watched her maroon-clad form walk up the path and go inside. She’d dumped a lot of theories for me to think about, especially her comment that she would like to take over Kelly’s Creative Designs gallery. Where had that come from? Was this murder all an elaborate plot to frame Kelly so Marion would have an exclusive outlet for her father’s work?
That thought, now that I’d framed it so clearly in my mind, made every nerve-ending tingle with dread.
After I parked the MG in front of the Little Dog Diner, Pip and I set off across the street, hoping to find Kelly.
Unfortunately, yellow police tape meant Creative Designs was still off limits, and I wouldn’t find Kelly there.
“What now, Pip?”
I saw Detective Winter behind the gallery, wiping her boot in the snow. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t scoot away quickly enough. She looked up and waved me over.
“Detective Winter,” I said as Pip and I walked to the back of the gallery between all the vehicles and activity. “You want to talk to me?”
In reply, she lifted her leather boot and scowled. “Is this where Pip does her business?”
“No! How dare you make that assumption? Pip isn’t the only dog in town. As a matter of fact, Kelly brings her dog to work with her sometimes.” I felt bad throwing Kelly under the bus like this, but it was the logical explanation. “Besides, what are you doing traipsing around in the snow back here?”
“Nice try. You know I can’t give you any details.”
“But you’ve already arrested someone.”
“True.” She turned her back to me.
I grabbed her arm and forced her to look at me. “Are you having doubts about AJ’s guilt?”
Detective Winter took a step closer to me. She glanced around the parking lot. “Something has come to our attention. That’s all I can say.”
I didn’t know whether I should jump up and down or grill her further. Then, as it dawned on me what that something might be, dread settled in my gut. Maybe Penny’s assumption about Kelly had been right. Or, at least the police were looking in that direction. No time for joy.
As Pip and I hurried away from Creative Designs, a flash of maroon came into view. I’d had enough of Marion, but we were headed straight for each other. I put my head down and focused on the sidewalk with the hope that she’d leave me alone in my absorbed state.
“Danielle?”
I looked up, “Penny?” My surprise was genuine, thinking it was Marion heading in my direction. “Do you have the same coat as Marion?”
Penny looked at what she was wearing. “Huh. I must have grabbed the first coat from the hook closest to the door. It’s where I always put my coat. Those old habits are hard to change.” She laughed at herself. “I hope Marion doesn’t mind.”
I really didn’t know what to say since what I wanted was to be away from Penny on my way to find Kelly. I pulled the mittens out of my pocket hoping to clear up that small mystery. “Do you know who these could belong to?”
“Oh. I’ve been looking high and low for them. Did I leave them at the Little Dog Diner after the open house?”
“Actually—”
Penny cut off my reply with a flip of her hand. “It doesn’t matter.” She took the mittens and stuffed them in the coat pockets, then she took my arm as if we were good friends taking a stroll together heading toward the Blue Moon Inn. “I was hoping to chat with you about Kelly’s gallery.”
I didn’t budge. “What about her gallery?” Alarm bells screamed in my head.
“Well, I’d rather not discuss my idea out here.” She glanced around and gave my arm a tug.
“I’m busy, Penny. Just spit it out.” The coat, the mittens, Kelly’s gallery—all added up to something fishier than my best chowder.
Pip must have sensed my annoyance. She circled around Penny, sniffing her boots before she jumped on my leg. I pulled my arm away from Penny, bent down, and picked up Pip, creating a great barrier between us.
Penny backed away slightly. “Did Marion tell you that she was thinking about buying Creative Designs?”
“Why do you ask?”
Penny huffed and rolled her eyes. “It was my idea.” She nodded toward all the police activity behind the gallery. “Especially with this new development.” I wasn’t sure what she was referring to, but I assumed the renewed police investigation.
“The League of Craftsmen wants to have an exclusive gallery to showcase the work. Creative Designs is the perfect spot, and I’m not letting anyone get in my way.”
I followed Penny’s gaze toward the gallery. Detective Winter was again wiping her boot in the snow. I looked back at Penny in Marion’s maroon coat. A ripple of tingles ran up my spine.
“What?” she asked me, but I heard a hardness in her voice. She tried to take my arm again, but Pip snapped at her, getting a mouthful of coat fabric.
Penny pulled away. “That dog of yours is a menace,” she hissed. “It was probably her that left her business right where I stepped in it.”
I took several steps backward toward Creative Designs as the full scene from Sunday morning came together in my mind. “Let’s discuss this with Detective Winter,” I suggested as I watched Penny’s eyes move back and forth, suddenly full of a nervous energy.
&n
bsp; She studied my face, then abruptly turned in the direction of the Blue Moon Inn. She’d hesitated just long enough for Sadie’s five Chihuahuas to pull free of her hold and dash toward me. Of course, it was Pip they were interested in. I put her down, so I didn’t get run over from the exuberant greeting.
Sadie waved her arms and shouted for her dogs to come back, but they all had another idea. Instead, they hurtled toward Pip and as they ran around Penny, their trailing leashes flew off the sidewalk, whipping around Penny’s legs.
It all happened in a couple of blinks of an eye along with plenty of screeches. The barking dogs caught Detective Winter’s attention.
As soon as she arrived at my side, she frowned at the dogs jumping and circling Penny in an ever-tightening snare.
I stared. Stunned. I couldn’t believe how the dogs had captured a murderer. “Penny killed Nick North,” I blurted out to Detective Winter. I almost didn’t believe the words that came out of my mouth.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“Marion’s coat, the missing mittens, Harry’s glass Christmas trees and,” I whispered to Jane, “the dog poop on her boot. She had to have stepped in it when she snuck in the back door of Creative Designs and killed Nick. It all fits together to put Penny at the scene of the crime. And, she just told me nothing was going to stop her from getting Creative Designs as her own gallery.”
“She’s crazy,” Penny stammered as she tried to stay upright while the Chihuahuas jumped around her, pulling her in one direction and then another.
I couldn’t help it when my tension seeped out as a hearty laugh.
“No! It was Kelly. I heard her yelling at Nick.” As soon as those words flew out, Penny clamped her hand over her mouth.
I looked at Jane and raised my eyebrows. “Do you believe me now?”
“Penny Pratt? Come with me. I have some questions for you to answer.” I helped Sadie untangle the dogs before Detective Winter led Penny to an idling police car.
“Take her to the station,” she said to the driver. I’ll be there as soon as possible after I question Ms. Mackenzie.” Then she slapped the roof of the car with a resounding thud before it drove off.
