Murder So Deadly

by Eileen Curley Hammond

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  The next day brought a flurry of activity. Rob decided to pick up his sister, so that left me free to finalize the details of the funeral with Father Tom and then, later, Ed. I sat at the kitchen counter and pulled the phone toward me. First on my list was Jay. “Jay, do you know when the coroner will release Richard’s body?”

  “When I spoke to her yesterday, she thought she’d be able to do the autopsy by Thursday. That means they’ll probably release him on Friday.”

  “So it would be safe to schedule the funeral for Monday?”

  “That should be okay.”

  I hung up and scratched “check with Jay” from my list. Feeling accomplished, I poured myself another cup of coffee. My phone buzzed with a text from Jenny: “I know you have lots going on, but okay if I stay at Cindy’s tonight?”

  “You have to come home eventually.”

  “I’ll pick up clothes at three.”

  The phone rang. Seeing that it was Cheryl, I answered. “What’s up?”

  “We’re having some problems with one of the storm claims. If I send you the information, would you give the insurance company a call?”

  “No problem. I’ll be on the lookout.” I hung up.

  There was a quick rap at the back door, and Ed strolled in. He held out a dish. “I was thinking lemon squares for the reception after the funeral. Let me know what you think.”

  The square was a deep yellow and was dusted with powdered sugar. I pulled a fork from the drawer and used the side of it to cut myself a bite. “I love the crust. It’s so light and buttery. And the lemon is so tart. Is that a piece of candied lemon on the top?”

  He nodded.

  “This is a winner.” I pushed the plate toward him.

  He slid the plate back in my direction. “You can have the rest. I’ll bring some other things by for you to try tomorrow.”

  “Thanks. I heard from Jay. We’ll have the funeral on Monday.”

  “That works out well. Monday’s normally a slow day. See you later.” The door shut behind him.

  I eyed the rest of the lemon bar. Giving in, I pulled it toward me, took another small bite, and smacked my lips. So good.

  “What are you eating?”

  I jumped. Wanda walked to the counter and eyed the remains of the lemon bar.

  “It’s one of the desserts Ed is going to make for the funeral.”

  “Is that the size he’s serving? It doesn’t seem very large.”

  “I ate half of it.”

  Wanda’s eyebrow arched.

  There was another knock at the door, and Rob came in. “Mother, I thought you might want to join me for the ride to the airport.”

  I flashed him a grateful smile.

  “Sure. It will be good to see Elizabeth. Let me get my coat.” She walked up the stairs.

  I groaned. “I hate to say anything, but your mother is a teeny bit judgmental.”

  He tapped my nose with his finger. “More than a teeny bit. May I?” He pointed toward the dessert.

  “Have at it.”

  He took a bite. “This is good. How much butter is in this?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t want to know.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want more?”

  “Yep. I’ve lost my appetite.”

  “Hopefully you’ll be hungry by this evening. I thought we’d go to the Golden Skillet.”

  “Jenny’s staying at Cindy’s tonight, and I’m tired. Would you mind if I begged off? I’m sure you’d like some alone time with your mom and sister.”

  Rob walked around the counter and hugged me from behind. “I’m sensing a cry for help.”

  I leaned back into his arms. “You may be right.”

  “Okay. I’ll take the two of them to dinner and drop Mother off at bedtime.”

  Wanda cleared her throat. Rob gave me one last squeeze and kissed the top of my head. “See you later.”

  I washed Ed’s plate, dried it, and left it on the counter so I would remember to bring it back. Then I strolled to the office to try and get something done for a few hours. It was busy and, by the end of the day, it felt like the phone was permanently glued to my ear.

  I locked up and started to amble back to my house. I hadn’t gone more than four steps when someone said, “Wait up. I’ll walk with you.” I turned. Andy hurried to catch up, his long legs making it look easy. “What are you doing tonight?”

  “Nothing.” I smiled. “Absolutely nothing. I have the evening free. I might even take a long bath.”

  “Ed’s making a new shepherd’s pie recipe if you want to have dinner with us.”

  I stopped, considering. “Would it be rude if I came to eat and left right after dinner?”

  He put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “You and Jenny are like family. Leave whenever you want, as long as you bring wine.” He winked.

  “I’ll be there.” I unlocked the back door and walked into the house. The cats danced around my feet, waiting to be fed. That task accomplished, I gave my hair a quick brush, took a bottle of Merlot out of the wine fridge, picked up Ed’s plate, and waltzed out the door.

  Andy held the door open for me as I ran up their back steps. I handed him the wine.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  I took off my coat and put it in the closet. The house smelled wonderful, like roasted garlic, onions, and carrots. I gave Ed a quick kiss on the cheek, walked around the counter, and sat. My stomach growled. “Andy said it was a new recipe?”

  “It is. I roasted the vegetables then put the short ribs with some wine and onions in the slow cooker this morning. Some mashed potatoes and all I had to do was shred the meat, fold in the veggies, and pop it in the oven. ”

  Andy handed me a glass of wine. I toasted Ed, “To the organized chef.”

  He smiled. “To guinea pigs.”

  Andy sat down next to me. “What do you think of the new neighbor? She’s quite the painter.”

  “She seems nice. We were supposed to have lunch this Saturday, but, with everything that’s going on, I had to cancel.”

  “Don’t forget our party the Saturday after next. It’ll be crowded, but maybe you’ll get a chance to speak with her then.”

  “Hopefully, our houseguest will have left by then.”

  Andy nudged my shoulder. “So what happened with Rob’s step-father? I heard that his mother was caught at the “no-tell” motel with him.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “He died, and yes, they were at the Shady Inn. I’m not sure what happened.”

  Ed grabbed potholders, took the casserole dish from the oven, and placed it on the trivet. His grey eyes lifted to mine. “Do you think she killed him?”

  “Don’t be silly. I’m sure they’ll find that he died of natural causes.” I traced the veining of the island countertop. “I hope.”

  Chapter 3

  After dawdling in bed reading and finally venturing forth for a quick bout of stretching, I felt ready to face the day. I texted Jenny: “You up?”

  “I am now.”

  “Dinner tonight; be here by six to meet Rob’s sister.”

  “If I must.”

  “Love you.”

  I received a heart in return.

  I snuck down the stairs hoping that I’d be able to slink out the door before Wanda woke up. Unfortunately, she was sitting by the door, already dressed for the day. She smirked, “A bit late, isn’t it?”

  “It is. So I need to leave. Now.”

  She waved her hand, dismissing the urgency in my voice. “I have a favor to ask. Richard’s daughter decided to come to the funeral. She’ll be arriving on Saturday. She could have Jenny’s room, and Jenny could sleep on the couch.”

  I squelched a groan. “Can’t she stay at Rob’s?”

  “She’d be on the couch there. Here she’d have a bed. I don’t know her that well, but it seems more welcoming.”

  “But then Jenny would be on the couch.”

  “She’s been at he
r friend’s the last few nights. What difference does it make?”

  “Let me talk to Jenny about it. I’ll let you know tonight.” I sighed.

  “Can you leave your keys? I may want to go out later.”

  I dropped them on the counter and slid past her out the door. Clenching my purse, I ran down the back stairs and race-walked toward the driveway. My new neighbor, Alex, had her easel set up outside in the backyard. I forced a smile and waved. “You’re taking advantage of the nice weather.”

  “I am. It’s lovely this morning.”

  I took a deep breath, checked my watch, and walked toward her. I looked over her shoulder. She had painted a grouping of daffodils. Some were the standard yellow, some were rimmed with yellow, and others had a yellow center surrounded by creamy white flowers. “That’s beautiful. You’ve captured the moment.”

  She pointed with her paintbrush. “It’s this yard. It gives me such inspiration. I love flowers. Especially exotic ones. Though these are nice too.”

  “I’ll let you get back to it.”

  I texted Rob as I walked to work. “Pick me up at four for food shopping? Dinner tonight at my house.”

  “Sounds good. See you then.”

  I had an appointment with the accountant to finalize my taxes, so the day was a blur of forms, deductions, and income. I was surprised when I saw Rob in my doorway. “You’re early.” He pointed behind me. I turned and checked the clock. “I stand corrected; you are right on time, as usual.” I stood and stretched. “My accountant left. I think I’ve got my taxes nailed down.”

  He kissed me. “Sounds like you deserve a drink.”

  “I do. But let’s get to the grocery store and figure out what’s for dinner first.”

  He drove me to the store. “What are you in the mood for?”

  “Let’s see what looks good. Is your sister as particular as your mother?”

  He laughed. “No. She’s normal, like me. You’re going to love her.”

  Rob pushed the shopping cart while I surveyed the fish. “The salmon looks good, and I know your mother will eat that.”

  “My sister likes it too.”

  “Sold.” I told the clerk how much I wanted. “Let’s go to the salad bar and load up on several different options to make it easy for people to pick what they like.”

  We stood in the slow-moving checkout line. Finally, it was our turn. The chatty cashier started scanning our items. “Did you hear about the guy who was killed at the motel by his wife?”

  Rob’s mouth dropped. “They don’t know what happened yet. I’m sure it was natural causes.”

  I inserted my credit card to pay.

  The clerk leaned over the conveyor belt and lowered her voice. “That’s not what I heard. And I hear plenty in this job.”

  Rob seemed rooted to the floor.

  I took his hand. “Let’s go. It’s getting late.”

  He glared at the clerk, and we left. “I can’t believe that woman. That’s my mother she’s gossiping about.” He shoved the bags into the trunk.

  I touched his arm. “Treat the bags nicer. We want to eat tonight.”

  “I’m sorry. This is all so strange.” We got in the car, and Rob drove me home.

  We each grabbed a few bags from the trunk and were able to make it into the kitchen in one trip. Wanda and Elizabeth sat on the window seat, drinking tea.

  Elizabeth wore a rainbow-colored striped sweater, brown slacks, and penny loafers. She was tall, thin, and had blonde hair pulled into a haphazard bun.

  I held out my hand. She disregarded it and wrapped me in a big hug. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

  My face heated up. “All good things I hope.”

  Rob said, “Of course.”

  “And you own your own business. I like enterprising women.” She finally let me go. I took a step back.

  Wanda interjected, “You know Elizabeth is a doctor. A surgeon.”

  “Yes, Rob told me. That’s impressive.”

  She waved her hand. “It pays the bills. Plus I love helping people.” She peeked in one of the shopping bags. “What are we having for dinner? I’m starving.”

  I showed her the assortment of things we bought. “Let me get some hors d’oeuvres going.”

  “I’ll help.” She walked around the counter into the kitchen.

  I pulled out a few kinds of cheese, carrots, and celery. “If you could get started on those, I can pull together a quick crumble for dessert.”

  She washed and peeled the carrots, then cut them into precise, smaller sticks. I took the pitted cherries from the freezer and tossed them with flour, cinnamon, a little salt, and a touch of vanilla. Then I put flour, oats, and a stick of butter into the stand mixer. Wanda joined us. “You aren’t going to use all that butter, are you?”

  I lifted my eyes to hers. “I have some fresh yogurt and berries in the refrigerator if you would rather have that.”

  She harrumphed.

  Elizabeth said, “I’m having the crumble. It sounds delicious.”

  I placed the dessert into the oven and set the timer.

  Rob uncorked a bottle of wine. “Who wants some?” Elizabeth and I nodded.

  Wanda lifted her glass. “I already have some.”

  Jenny eased through the back door as if she hoped she was invisible. I hugged her. “I’ve missed you.”

  She squirmed free. I introduced her to Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth shook her hand. “Rob said you’re a great basketball player. I used to play when I was your age. I’m in a volleyball league now.”

  I picked up my wine and the nibbles. “Let’s go into the living room. It’s more comfortable.”

  Jenny sat on the hearth, Wanda sat on one of the armchairs, and Rob and his sister sat on the couch. I hesitated for a moment and then sat in the other chair. I put the munchies down. “How was your trip, Elizabeth?”

  “Not too bad. The planes were on time for once. I liked that restaurant last night—” She looked at Rob.

  “Golden Skillet.”

  “I had their chicken pot pie. It was yummy.” She paused. “It was such a shame about Richard. I didn’t know him very well, but he seemed like a nice man. He was very nice to Mom.”

  Wanda sniffed. “He was a nice man. I miss him.”

  “What’s his daughter’s name?” Elizabeth picked up a celery stick.

  “Kathy. She teaches high school English.” Wanda took a ladylike sip of her wine. “She and Richard didn’t get on very well. He thought she should have gone into a career where she could make more money.”

  “Maybe teaching brings her joy. I think teachers are undervalued.”

  I reached for a carrot. “If anyone wants to eat tonight, I better get the salmon started.” I stood.

  Rob asked, “Do you need help?”

  “No, it will only take a few minutes. Jenny, would you please set the table?”

  She launched herself off the hearth. “Sure thing.”

  Jenny gathered plates, and I placed the salmon on a large piece of aluminum foil. I dressed it with a sauce of garlic, mustard, and white wine and closed the package by crimping the edges. I put it on a sheet pan, slid it into the oven, and set the timer. Then I brought water glasses to Jenny. “How long are you planning on staying at Cindy’s?”

  She paused, one of the forks still in her hand. “As long as Rob’s mother is here if the Twilliger’s will let me.”

  “I have a favor to ask.”

  “What?” She placed the fork on the left-hand side of the plate.

  “Richard’s daughter is coming to town for his funeral. Would it be okay if she stayed in your room?”

  “All my stuff is there.”

  “I know. But you’re not sleeping there, and the only other place is the couch. That’s not very comfortable for a guest.”

  “I want all these people to go home!”

  “Keep your voice down. They won’t be here for that much longer. If there’s anything you don’t want Kathy to ha
ve access to, you can store it in my closet.”

  Jenny put the last knife down. “I guess. I’m not happy about it though.”

  I kissed her cheek. “Thanks.”

  Rob walked into the room. “Anything I can do?”

  “You could fill the water pitcher and put it on the table.”

  Elizabeth came in with the plate we had used for hors d’oeuvres. “Where’s your plastic wrap? I’ll pop this into the fridge.”

  I pointed to the drawer to the left of the sink. “In there.”

  Rob took the containers of side dishes out of the refrigerator. “We’re not going to put these onto serving plates, are we?”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Fancy enough for me.”

  Wanda pointed to the containers. “Those are the end of civilization as we know it.”

  Rob refilled his mother’s glass. “A bit dire. They aren’t even plastic; they’re made out of cardboard.”

  She took the glass from him and sipped. “I wasn’t talking about garbage in the ocean. I was talking about how informal we as a society have become.”

  I pulled the tray from the oven. “Let’s eat!”

  After dinner, Wanda complained of a headache and went to bed early, and Jenny took some clothes and went back to Cindy’s. Rob, Elizabeth, and I cleaned up.

  Rob said to Elizabeth, “I have to cover the town council meeting tonight. Do you want to go back to my place, or would you rather stay here, and I’ll pick you up on my way home?”

  Elizabeth turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

  “You’re welcome to stay. I want the chance to get to know you better, and I think it’s going to get pretty crazy after tonight.”

  She said, “I’ll stay.” Rob left.

  I held the carafe. “More coffee?”

  “No. I want to be able to sleep tonight. You don’t have any Bailey’s in the house, do you?”

  I smiled. “You bet.”

  I retrieved the bottle and poured two cordial glasses. “Shall we return to the living room?” I led the way. We sat next to each other on the sofa.

  She took a small sip and gave me an impish grin. “What deep dark secrets about Rob would you like to know? Let me see, how about the time he was caught skinny dipping in the lake—no that’s too tame. There was the time the police brought him home after he snuck out his window.” She chuckled. “He was five at the time and loved to explore. Still does.”