Daisy McDare and the Deadly Art Affair

by K. M. Morgan

  Chapter Nine

  Daisy had no idea what would happen next. She wasn’t anxious to find out. If she didn’t feel bad enough for her friend before, her heart went out to Kara more than ever.

  Kara seemed to be living in a lion’s den. Daisy just wanted to comfort her friend. Kara had other ideas.

  After dinner, Kara walked Daisy to the front door. Kara seemed on the verge of crying. There was an equal mix of sadness and frustration in Kara’s eyes.

  “Bet you don’t see fireworks like that every day,” Kara deadpanned. Her wit was as dry as her martini. Joking was clearly her coping mechanism.

  “I can’t say I do. I’m so sorry--”

  Kara interrupted her. “About what, my life?”

  “No, that’s not what I meant,” Daisy corrected.

  “I used to feel sorry for myself, then I discovered cocktails. If life has taught me anything, it’s that there’s nothing a stiff drink can’t fix.”

  “Is everything going to be alright?” Daisy wondered.

  Kara played the situation down again with another joke. “Are you kidding? That’s how it is here all the time.”

  Daisy knew Kara was trying to play down her pain, but it wasn’t working.

  “All that being said, I think it’s probably best that you head home,” Kara continued.

  Daisy furrowed her brow. “I don’t agree. Isn’t it better if I stay and give you a shoulder to lean on?”

  “I know what you’re trying to do--”

  “I’m just trying to help. That’s what friends are for,” Daisy insisted.

  “I know. And if I thought you could, I’d ask you to stay. For today at least, I think it would be best if you went home while things simmer down.”

  “Ok. Well, know that I’m just a phone call away,” Daisy insisted.

  “Thanks for being such a good friend. I’m sure when you come back tomorrow things will have calmed down,” Kara said.

  “Alright. I’ll see you then,” Daisy replied.

  “In the meantime, I hear another cocktail calling my name,” Kara said.

  ***

  It was a double fudge kind of day. Kara may not have wanted to talk about what just happened, but Daisy sure did. She knew just the place to do it.

  After a forty-five minute drive back to Cozy Creek, Daisy stopped into her favorite home away from home—the Sweet Tooth Dessert Shop. Her best friend Samantha Johnson couldn’t wait to hear about Daisy’s day, for a number of reasons.

  Samantha had been friends with Kara when she lived in Cozy Creek too. On top of that, Samantha was a big fan of Luke Longwell’s paintings. Unfortunately, Daisy had to play messenger.

  Daisy always found that bad news was best delivered with chocolate in hand. The question was, were double fudge cupcakes any match for the revelations on the tip of Daisy’s tongue? She wasn’t looking forward to finding out.

  Samantha took the news just as Daisy expected—poorly.

  “Are you ok?” Daisy asked.

  “Ask me again when I finish my cupcake,” Samantha deadpanned.

  “Tell me about it. What a five alarm fudge fiasco,” Daisy bemoaned.

  Daisy and Samantha both laughed, but then followed up with sighs shortly after. They could try to add levity to the situation all they wanted. The fact was, their old friend was in a serious marriage pickle.

  “I feel so bad for Kara. She looked so miserable. There she is with all the money in the world, but the one thing she can’t buy is happiness,” Daisy explained.

  Granny Annie Johnson then stopped her baking behind the counter and invited herself into the conversation. “That’s because happiness isn’t for sale. You can’t just go down to the corner store and buy a packet of happiness with your soda pop and a scratch off lottery ticket. Happiness comes from inside. Look at me--I’m happy as a clam, and my bank account is hardly the stuff of legend.”

  “I hope things work out for Kara. It’s never a good sign when a cocktail is your best friend,” Daisy said.

  “Especially when those martinis bring Mr. Hangover with them the next morning. He’s a rude dude with serious attitude,” Granny Annie replied.

  “And here I was just thinking how jealous I was of what Kara has. Money, a mansion, and martinis are no substitute for true happiness though,” Samantha said.

  “They should put that saying in a fortune cookie,” Granny Annie suggested.

  “I know what you mean. Here I am, hopelessly single--yet I feel much happier about my situation than Kara’s. At least I’m not a few cameras short of living in a reality show,” Daisy reasoned.

  Other things then started nagging thoughts on Samantha’s mind. “I still can’t believe Luke Longwell has all the charm of a bridge troll. Who would have thought a genius painter like that would turn out to be some a Crabby McCrabapple?”

  “Unfortunately, I saw it with my own eyes. The man has a personality more prickly than a cactus,” Daisy described.

  “I have to admit, it’s going to be hard to look at his paintings the same way again,” Samantha admitted.

  “Haven’t I told you it’s foolish to hold people up on pedestals? We’re all human—even Luke Longwell. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us,” Granny Annie said.

  “I know, I know.” Samantha still couldn’t hide her disappointment. “Do you have any good news to report at least?”

  “These cupcakes are delicious,” Daisy said. Although she knew that wasn’t the kind of news her friend was looking for.

  “Of course they are. They’re my recipe. They don’t call me the Cozy Creek Cupcake Queen for nothing,” Granny Annie boasted.

  Samantha furrowed her brow. “Who calls you that?”

  “I figured if I floated it out there enough, maybe it would catch on as a thing,” Granny Annie explained.

  Samantha smiled. “Keep trying granny.”

  “Drats. Guess it is back to the old nickname drawing board,” Granny Annie said.

  Samantha changed the subject. “You might not have any good news, but I do.”

  Daisy was surprised. “Really? What is it?”

  Samantha smiled. “It turns out you’re not hopelessly single after all. You have yourself a blind date tomorrow night.”

  “Me? But I never agreed to one,” Daisy said.

  “You can thank me later. Trust me, Colin is a total peach. You’re going to have a ball together,” Samantha continued.

  “How can you be so sure?” Daisy asked.

  Samantha then showed Daisy a picture of Colin on her cell phone. Daisy couldn’t deny that he sure was handsome. She also couldn’t deny Samantha and Granny Annie’s persistence.

  “You can never go wrong with a pastry chef,” Samantha insisted.

  “Truer words have never been spoken,” Granny Annie said. “Matter of fact, I’m going to start using that line at the retirement villas. With any luck, I’ll have to start fighting those septuagenarians off with a stick.”

  Chapter Ten

  The next day hardly got off to a triumphant start. Dawn was a cruel mistress, especially for someone who was allergic to being an early bird like Daisy. She usually got up at 7 a.m., but now that she was trying to avoid running into her ex, she reset her alarm that morning to 6 a.m. Yikes was that early.

  When her alarm went off, it was Daisy’s instinct to pound the snooze button and take a trip back to slumber land. She knew she couldn’t however, and not just because her Westie Shamus was dancing around like he had ants in his pants. Shamus desperately needed to take a trip to the dog park to burn off energy, and Daisy knew it.

  If she wanted to avoid a nausea-inducing run in with her ex, she had to find the willpower—and now. After all, Brent Patterson valued his sleep more than his fantasy football team. Daisy figured there was a fat chance of running into him at 6 a.m. Now Daisy just needed to get herself out of bed.

  Shamus had a foolproof idea. While running around Daisy’s bedroom with pent up energy, he knocked
her alarm off of her nightstand. There was no way she could hit snooze without having to get out of bed first. Meanwhile there was no chance of getting back to sleep with her alarm buzzing in her ear.

  Daisy sighed and got up, then drove her groggy self over to the dog park with a travel mug filled to the brim with coffee. The whole time one thought ran through her head—this idea better be worth it.

  Luckily, it was. When she arrived at the dog park, there was no ex-boyfriend in sight. As a matter of fact, other than a few other crusty-eyed dog owners who looked like they’d rather be at home in bed, the park was relatively empty.

  Daisy got her wish. She was able to give Shamus his running around time at the park without having an awkward encounter with her ex. She smiled. Maybe today was looking up after all.

  ***

  As Daisy drove to Whistling Wind, she couldn’t help but wonder what else the day had in store for her. Was she going to witness another familial fiasco, or would cooler heads prevail?

  Had Kara just been lying to her about things working out? There were so many questions, but no answers to speak of.

  Before she left the house, Daisy packed a half dozen chocolate chip cookies. There were two things Daisy enjoyed doing when stress got the better of her—beading and baking. As much as she enjoyed making beaded necklaces and bracelets, more often than not baking won out. Then again, what could compare to ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies?

  When Daisy arrived at the Longwell’s house, she knew it would be a day to remember—for all the wrong reasons. There were three police cars in the driveway.

  Oh dear. What was going on? Daisy was almost afraid to find out.

  There was a police deputy posted at the front door as Daisy approached.

  “Officer, what happened?” Daisy wondered.

  The officer was all business. He had no time for small talk, nor was he interested in volunteering much information.

  “Who are you?” the deputy replied.

  “I’m Daisy McDare.”

  “Are you a family member of the victim?” the deputy continued.

  “Victim? What victim?”

  Dear me. There was a victim? Daisy prayed that it wasn’t Kara. Daisy’s heart sank as she waited for the deputy to answer.

  “Luke Longwell. Are you related to him?” the deputy said.

  “No. I’m an interior decorator. I was hired to redecorate the parlor.”

  The deputy stared her down. “The detective is going to need to ask you some questions.”

  Daisy was confused. “Me? What for?”

  “Come with me,” the deputy insisted.

  “But wait. What happened to Luke?”

  ***

  Daisy couldn’t believe the answer as the deputy led her to the art studio at the back of the house. That’s where Detective Steven Smiley was talking with the coroner. The detective was anything but all smiles as Luke Longwell’s body was zipped into a body bag.

  Daisy’s jaw nearly hit the floor. How did this happen?

  It was a difficult scene to watch. Not only was Luke dead, but it didn’t appear to be from natural causes. It seemed as if someone had killed Luke Longwell. The question was, why? And who would do such a thing?

  Daisy’s mind started to race. It was clear things had only escalated at the Longwell estate after she left the day before, rather than calm down as she hoped. The family members had already been at each other’s throats. It looked like tensions had finally boiled over, and now a man was dead because of it.

  Daisy started to feel queasy. The pit in her stomach only grew larger as the detective approached her.

  Steven Smiley was a brawny man in his mid-forties with black crew-cut hair, blue eyes, a thick mustache, and almost no neck to speak of. He looked like the kind of guy who would be strong enough to wrestle a moose to the ground. The detective also had a piercing stare. Smiley was the last word Daisy would use to describe him.

  “What is your relationship to the deceased?” Detective Smiley asked.

  He sure didn’t waste any time. Daisy could see the man was all business, but he didn’t even bother introducing himself.

  By the looks of it, he also didn’t like waiting for an answer.

  Daisy didn’t keep him waiting any longer. “I’m an interior decorator. I was hired to redecorate the parlor.”

  “Did you have a relationship with the deceased?” Detective Smiley followed up.

  Daisy was taken aback. Not only was that really personal, but she had no idea where it coming from.

  “That’s crazy. Why would you ask that?”

  “I’m the detective here. I’m asking the questions.”

  “No, I didn’t have a relationship with him,” Daisy answered.

  Detective Smiley didn’t hesitate with his next question. “Did you ever model for him?”

  This all seemed to be coming out of left field. “No. Where is all this coming from?”

  “He was working on a figure painting of a woman when he died,” Detective Smiley explained.

  Wait a minute. That didn’t make sense. Kara told Daisy that Luke was only doing landscape paintings from now on.

  “I’ve never modeled for anyone—ever. Besides, isn’t it easy to tell the painting isn’t of me just by looking at it?” Daisy asked.

  “The painting is only half done. The only thing you can make out is that it’s a figure painting of a woman. Unfortunately, he hadn’t painted the face in yet,” Detective Smiley explained.

  “Well, it wasn’t me,” Daisy insisted.

  “Where were you between the hours of five and six this morning?” Detective Smiley asked.

  “I was sleeping, like any normal person would be,” Daisy answered.

  “Any normal person, huh? I’ll have you know I ran five kilometers before dawn—just like I always do. It’s great for your ticker, not to mention your waistline,” Detective Smiley replied.

  Daisy sure did a good job of putting her foot in her mouth. Now, could she pull it out and save face, or was it already too late?

  “Look, when I said normal--”

  Detective Smiley cut her off. “I know I’m not normal. I’m more of a freak of nature. That’s the way I like it. It lets criminals know they aren’t safe on the street when Steven S. Smiley is on the beat.”

  “I know if I was a criminal I’d be scared of you. Not that I’m a criminal—because I’m--”

  “Here’s the problem Ms. McDare. Everyone I’ve questioned today has told me they were in bed between five and six this morning. Now clearly one of you is lying,” Detective Smiley said.

  “Not me. I’m telling you the truth,” Daisy insisted.

  A deputy then interrupted their conversation.

  “Detective, you’re going to want to see this,” the deputy said.

  Smiley hated having his questioning cut into, but as he looked at his deputy, it was clear he’d unearthed something.

  “I’ll be right there,” Detective Smiley said. He then turned to Daisy. “Don’t leave the premises.”

  Detective Smiley then moved over to the gardener’s shed where his deputy stood.

  Daisy meanwhile tried to catch her breath. She’d never been questioned by the police before. She was hoping it wouldn’t ever happen again.

  It was bad enough to show up and find out that Luke Longwell was dead. By the sound of it, the detective seemed to think Daisy might be a suspect. If ever there was a time for chocolate, it was now.

  Chapter Eleven

  Daisy wasn’t the only one in shock. The whole Longwell family seemed to be slack-jawed as they stood in the kitchen. No one was talking. They all just stared out into the distance.

  Daisy rushed to Kara’s side, concerned about how her old friend was holding up. By the looks of her, Kara still didn’t know what hit her.

  “I’m so sorry,” Daisy said.

  “Daisy?” She looked surprised to see her. “Oh right, the interior decorating.”

  “Forget about the decora
ting,” Daisy insisted.

  She then gave her friend a hug.

  “I just want you to know if there’s anything you need, I’m here for you,” Daisy continued.

  “You’re such a good friend.”

  “At a time like this, it’s important to have someone by your side,” Daisy explained.

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Kara said.

  Daisy was confused. “What do you mean?”

  Kara looked suspiciously around the kitchen.

  “Why don’t you join me in the parlor?” Kara suggested.

  Kara then led Daisy out of the kitchen.

  ***

  Once she was away from the other family and staff members, Kara seemed to loosen up a little.

  Daisy meanwhile still furrowed her brow.

  “What was that about?” Daisy wondered.

  “Some conversations should be conducted in private—especially now,” Kara insisted.

  “Are you ok?” Daisy asked.

  It only took a split second for Daisy to realize what a fool she’d just made of herself.

  “I’m sorry. Your husband was just murdered. Of course you’re not ok,” she continued.

  Daisy couldn’t help but notice Kara looking over her shoulder, like she was expecting someone to walk in on them at any moment.

  “It’s not just that,” Kara revealed.

  Now Daisy was even more confused. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “Things got a lot worse after you left yesterday,” Kara explained.

  “Between you and Luke?”

  “Between Luke and everyone. There was plenty of screaming to go around. Everyone was at each other’s throats.”

  “About what?”

  “About what happened at dinner earlier–only it was even more heated. The yelling was starting to get out of hand. It was worse than I’ve ever seen things before. I thought it would be best if I just went to bed early and try to sleep things off,” Kara explained.