Beignets, Brides and Bodies

by J. R. Ripley

  Reva sucked on a kernel of corn then popped it in her mouth. Her head bobbed up and down. ‘I remember that.’

  ‘Me, too,’ said Ben. ‘Markie had several toys stolen.’

  ‘Collectibles,’ corrected Reva.

  Ben rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, collectibles.’

  ‘Do you think she was stealing?’

  ‘Who?’ Reva asked.

  ‘Maria Aronez.’

  The cake artist shrugged. ‘I have no idea. If she wasn’t and got fired for it I am sorry, though.’

  ‘Yeah,’ added Ben. ‘Not to speak ill of the dead, but what you say doesn’t surprise me. Lisa always seemed to be getting in trouble. She couldn’t help herself.’

  And maybe one time she went too far or crossed the wrong person. But who?

  Ben hugged Reva. ‘If a cake ever falls on me and kills me, I hope it’s something manly, like a giant grizzly bear cake or a giant boulder. Preferably chocolate with chocolate ganache filling.’

  Reva giggled.

  ‘Anything but a cake covered with tropical birds and flowers,’ he quipped. ‘I mean, that’s just flighty.’

  Reva groaned at the horrible pun.

  I didn’t. Alarms went off in my head. ‘Say that again.’

  ‘Huh?’ Ben scratched the side of his face.

  ‘About the birds.’ Birds, there was something about birds.

  ‘I said if I ever got killed I wouldn’t want—’

  I waved impatiently. ‘Never mind.’

  I went in search of Detective Highsmith but there was no sign of him. I dug my phone from my purse and dialed Aubrey’s number. ‘Answer, please, answer,’ I muttered with each ring. She did. ‘Aubrey!’ I cried. ‘Where are you? You’re at the wedding, right?’

  ‘I’m at the reception,’ she replied. ‘Why? What’s wrong, Maggie?’

  ‘I know who killed Lisa Willoughby and I have to get in that reception.’

  There was a pregnant pause. ‘Wow, that’s great but, I mean, this is invitation only and I didn’t issue the invitations.’

  I sighed into the phone. ‘Fine, tell me where it is. I’ll figure out the rest.’ Aubrey gave me the name of the hotel and told me the reception was being held out-of-doors in the hotel garden. I fished Highsmith’s card out of my wallet and dialed. It went straight to voicemail. I cursed the man telepathically. Probably out canoodling with darling VV.

  That was OK. I’d solve this crime myself. I grabbed the Schwinn and pedaled as if my life depended on it. The wedding reception was being held at the Table Rock Hotel and Convention Center, not surprising as it was probably the biggest, flashiest and priciest place around. Aubrey had told me Cody’s family was rolling in money and Sabrina’s parents appeared to be well-heeled, too. Must be nice to be young and in love. And rich.

  I handed the pink bike off to the burgundy-and-gold-liveried valet who looked at me like I was crazy. What? He’d never seen a Schwinn before? I found Detective Highsmith manning the entrance to the garden. He looked mighty fine in a black suit with a crisp white shirt and black tie. ‘Detective!’ I shouted. ‘How come you aren’t answering your phone?’

  His lips barely moved. ‘I didn’t think it was important.’

  ‘It was me.’

  He blinked once. ‘I know.’

  Did this guy wake up dreaming of ways to be annoying or did it come naturally to him? ‘You’re here for the wedding?’ I inquired. It even looked like he’d put some sort of gel in his hair, giving it a wet look. Not bad. I could get used to it.

  Highsmith nodded. ‘They hired me to work security.’

  I rolled my eyes. ‘Security? At a wedding? They’re afraid of party crashers?’ I stepped past him. ‘This is Table Rock. What kind of wedding crashers could they get? An alien or two?’ Heck, aliens could well be on the guest list.

  He blocked my way. ‘Sorry, invitation only.’

  ‘You have to let me in,’ I said. ‘I know who killed Lisa Willoughby and I can prove it.’

  Highsmith sighed. ‘Come on, Ms Miller. You always think you know who did it. You’re not Miss Marple and this is no story book crime. Go home. Leave finding Lisa Willoughby’s killer to me.’

  ‘But I’m telling you—’

  He pressed closer and looked down his nose at me. ‘No,’ he said sternly. ‘I’m telling you. Go home.’

  I opened my mouth to protest and he stuck out his hand. ‘This is a wedding, for crying out loud. A joyous occasion.’ He gave me a gentle shove toward the exit. ‘Let’s let the happy young couple enjoy the evening.’

  I fumed as he guided me out of the hotel entrance. There was no sign of the Schwinn. I guess my bike wasn’t high class enough to be seen directly in front of the hotel with the Cadillacs and Mercedes. No matter. I was getting into that wedding reception and nothing was going to stop me.

  There was a flagstone path along the right side of the hotel that ran beside an eight-foot-tall adobe wall. The gardens were on the opposite side. Lights spilled over and the sounds of sixties bubblegum music, laughter and conversation filled the night air. I followed the path as it wound around the corner and came to a wrought-iron door cut into the side of the wall. Bushes flanked either side of the entrance.

  There was no sign of any security. I stepped toward the entrance. Ellen Collins, the officer I’d met at the Entronque the morning of Lisa’s murder was pacing back and forth on the inside. She was wearing a simple navy pantsuit, but nonetheless looked all business. I moved back into the shrubs.

  I pressed my back to the wall, wondering how would I get past her. Then it came to me. I picked up a small rock and heaved it gently over the wall. A little noise would distract Collins long enough for me to get inside. After that, if anybody spotted me I’d claim I was working for the caterers. Dressed in my work clothes, no one would ever believe I was a guest of the reception.

  A moment later, I heard a small crash. It sounded like the rock had hit some dinnerware. I peeked around the wall. My rock rested atop one of the banquet tables among some broken dishes. Voices were chattering and pointing in all directions. Officer Collins was surveying the damage. Maybe they’d take it for a meteorite and let it go at that.

  This was my chance. I pushed open the gate and closed it silently behind me. The band hadn’t stopped playing. I recognized the orangutan-looking man – no offense to orangutans everywhere – behind the mike. It was Morris McNulty. He was belting out a tune and had an electric red guitar strapped around his neck. The big bass drum was emblazoned with silver letters bearing the name of the band, Morris and the Moonglows. So Cody had been telling the truth. I was embarrassed to think I had once thought he was a murderer.

  I hated being proven wrong and it was happening all too much lately. I was determined not to let it happen again. I slinked past the table holding the wedding cake. I counted seven immaculate snow-white fondant-covered tiers. Was this Ben’s work? A spiral column of perfect pink sugar flowers gently climbed its side. I resisted the urge to pluck a petal for myself though I had skipped dinner.

  There was no sign of Samantha Higgins. Sabrina Higgins, her daughter, was out on the dance floor with an older gentleman I imagined to be her father. She’d chosen a princess gown and it suited her – in more ways than one. I also saw Aubrey and Keith and only stopped myself from waving in the nick of time. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself.

  I continued the search for Mrs Higgins among the dozens of tables in the garden. Highsmith spotted me across the sea of people and I saw his jaw tense. He quickly stepped toward me. I dodged down a side path and suddenly found myself hopelessly lost.

  A strong hand grabbed my shoulder from behind. ‘Come on, Ms Miller.’ I recognized the detective’s voice before I saw him. ‘It’s time to go home.’

  I leapt from his grip. ‘No! I can’t.’ I heard his steps behind me as I ran. ‘Samantha Higgins is the killer.’

  Highsmith laughed as he loped after me and pulled me to a stop. He folded his arms across his chest an
d curled his fingers in a gesture for me to speak. ‘OK, spill it.’

  I caught my breath then said, ‘It’s the cake.’

  ‘The cake?’

  I nodded. ‘The wedding cake that Lisa Willoughby was taking to the vow renewal on the morning she was killed,’ I explained. ‘It was the birds.’

  Highsmith frowned. ‘First you tell me it’s the cake and now you tell me it’s the birds. Which is it, Ms Miller?’

  ‘Both,’ I said. ‘It’s the birds and it’s the cake. ‘The cake the Robinsons ordered for their vow renewal had birds on it.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘The Robinsons,’ I said with growing exasperation. ‘They own the bird supply store on Smile and Main – Robinsons’ Nest.’

  He looked at me blankly.

  ‘It was their cake that Lisa was supposed to be delivering when she was killed.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Highsmith answered. ‘I interviewed them myself. They were surrounded by guests and family. There’s no way they had anything to do with Lisa Willoughby’s death.’

  ‘I know that.’ I waved my hand at him, unable to hide my annoyance. ‘But their cake held the key to the murder. The identity of the murderer.’

  ‘I’m listening,’ Highsmith replied. He rubbed the band of his watch. ‘Though why I don’t know.’

  I chose to ignore that remark. ‘The Robinsons’ cake was decorated with birds.’

  ‘You’re repeating yourself, Ms Miller.’

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t have to if you’d just—’ I stopped myself before I said something I might come to regret. Like a night behind bars for insulting an officer of the law. I took a breath and started slowly. ‘Reva and Ben from the bakery told me that Lisa only added the birds at the last minute the morning she was killed.’

  ‘So?’ Highsmith looked bored.

  ‘So,’ I answered smugly, ‘Mrs Higgins told me that Lisa was found under a bird cake.’ I waited for the detective to congratulate me but it looked like it was going to be a long wait. ‘How did she know?’ I cocked my brows at him. ‘It wasn’t in the newspaper. And the cake was such a mess that you could hardly tell by looking at the cake anyway. I know, I was there. That cake was a trail of cake and frosting and one big pile of mush on the bottom of the stairwell.’

  ‘You forget – I saw it too.’

  ‘OK, then. How did she know?’

  Highsmith pulled at his chin. ‘I don’t know, Ms Miller. Your theory’s got a lot of holes in it.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like lack of motive for one. Like maybe she heard from someone at the bakery what the cake was going to look like. Like maybe she knows the Robinsons and they told her.’

  I had no answer to any of that so I asked him a question. ‘Where is Mrs Higgins? Have you seen her tonight?’

  ‘Of course I’ve seen her. She and her husband toasted the bride not half an hour ago.’ The detective sighed. ‘Why don’t you head home? Get some rest. I’ll talk to Mrs Higgins again if it makes you feel better.’

  If he wasn’t bigger, stronger and an officer of the law I’d have kicked him in the shin for his patronizing tone. But since he was all of the above … I ran down a small path.

  ‘Hey!’ Highsmith shouted and chased.

  I dodged through a thorny hedge, wincing in pain as the sharp sticks scratched my arms and legs. I stumbled out the other side into a modest clearing, lit by nothing but the stars and the moon. A small adobe brick wishing well sat in the center of a circle of small black stones.

  And a figure in a slinky white gown and red heels lay face down beside the wishing well.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  Mrs Higgins’ lifeless eyes looked toward me. I sucked in a breath and took a step forward.

  ‘Stop!’ Detective Highsmith tumbled into the clearing and pulled me back. ‘Don’t touch anything!’ I nodded. He pushed me behind him and knelt down, placing his hand on the side of her neck. ‘She’s dead,’ he said, coming up slowly.

  I forced myself to breathe slowly, deeply. I felt like I was going to pass out. ‘What do you suppose happened?’ I wasn’t sure why I was whispering but I was.

  Highsmith’s voice was firm and in control. ‘Her neck’s been broken by the looks of it.’

  I whimpered, my hands flying to my neck.

  ‘Still think she’s your killer?’ Highsmith’s hands searched his coat.

  I shook my head in the negative. How could I have been so wrong? And so often!

  Footsteps pounded up the pebble path. Cody burst around the corner opposite the wishing well, which blocked his view of Mrs Higgins corpse. ‘What’s going on? Ms Miller? Mark? What are you two doing out here? I heard shouting. Is everything—’

  Highsmith motioned for him to come around to our side of the wishing well. ‘Take a look. But don’t get close.’

  Cody swallowed and edged around to our side. He gasped. ‘It’s Sabrina’s mom!’ He blanched and pulled at his shirt collar. ‘What happened to her?’ His eyes went to the detective. ‘Heart attack, maybe? Why did she come out here?’

  Highsmith shook his head no. ‘Looks like somebody crushed her trachea is my guess.’ His hands patted his pants’ pockets. ‘But we’ll let the ME decide that.’

  The detective’s eyes scanned the ground for clues. I heard a song in the distant background. It was hard to imagine a party going on while a woman lay here dead. ‘I’m afraid this might put a damper on your celebration.’

  Cody shrugged. ‘It can’t be helped.’

  I watched mutely. I was confused. If she was dead, who killed her? And who killed Lisa Willoughby? And why?

  ‘You two keep an eye on the body,’ ordered Highsmith, patting his jacket one last time. ‘I must have dropped my cell phone back there.’ He looked at me like it was my fault. What? Did I tell him to chase me? ‘I’m gonna go pick it up and call this in. Stay together. The killer could still be out there,’ he said firmly, pointing a finger at me. ‘Don’t touch anything.’

  I nodded and promised I wouldn’t. Cody shot me a nervous look and promised the same.

  ‘What do you suppose happened to her?’ I whispered as Highsmith disappeared. It was cold and I couldn’t stop shivering. ‘I mean, how was she killed?’

  Cody’s face was half-hidden in shadows as we crouched on either side of the now-deceased Samantha Higgins. ‘Strangled,’ he replied. ‘For sure.’ He turned his face toward me. ‘Like Mark said.’

  I gazed at Mrs Higgins’ neck but in the darkness it was impossible to discern any signs of strangulation – only a few scratches. ‘How can you tell?’

  Cody pushed himself off the ground. ‘Easy,’ he said, pulling a long black tie from his tuxedo coat. ‘I used this.’ The tie dangled from his fingers, its end lightly dancing along the ground.

  ‘What?’ What was Cody talking about? Had he lost his mind? Was he blathering? Too much stress what with the wedding and now a dead mother-in-law?

  ‘I said it was easy,’ Cody smiled. He jerked the tie up and down. ‘I used this on Mrs Higgins. In fact,’ he said coolly, stepping around the corpse, ‘let me show you.’

  It was only then that I noticed his bare neck and his unbuttoned shirt collar. Cody hadn’t been wearing his tie when he stumbled into the clearing.

  I opened my mouth and my scream died in my throat. I tumbled backward as I tried to rise. Cody grabbed me by both arms and yanked me upright. I felt his breath against my ear as he pressed me against him.

  ‘And I’d have dumped her body in the well and been done with her if you hadn’t stuck your nose in and showed up.’ He gave my arms a vicious pull and pain shot across my back, bringing tears to my eyes. ‘Always showing up where you’re not wanted, aren’t you, Ms Miller?’ His breath was hot and moist.

  ‘Why?’ I cried. ‘Why would you murder your mother-in-law?’ I mean, he’d been married less than a couple of hours. How bad could she be?

  His hand slapped over my mouth. ‘Quiet!’ He shoved me toward bushes. ‘I had to kill her. S
he wouldn’t quit. She killed Lisa and was blackmailing me.’

  I bit down on his fingers. He cursed me out but removed his hand. ‘I was right? Samantha Higgins murdered Lisa Willoughby?’

  Cody pulled back to a corner of the walled-in garden. Between the darkness and the thick vegetation there was no chance that anyone in the wedding party would see us here. ‘That’s right. Then she tried to blackmail me.’

  ‘Blackmail?’ Nothing Cody said was making any sense.

  ‘Yeah,’ spat Cody.

  ‘What is this all about?’ And how was I going to get out of this alive? Where was Detective Highsmith?

  Cody blew out a breath and pulled my arms together behind my back. I winced as pain shot up my arms and back. ‘Mrs Higgins killed Lisa because she found out that Lisa and I were fooling around.’

  ‘Fooling around?’ My eyebrow rose. ‘Like having an affair?’

  He shrugged. ‘It was just for kicks, you know.’

  I didn’t.

  ‘I mean, it didn’t mean anything. I still planned to marry Sabrina. We were only fooling around.’

  ‘And Mrs Higgins didn’t like it?’ Can’t say I blamed her for that. But murder?

  ‘Mrs Higgins confronted Lisa about our affair. I guess she was afraid I might not marry Sabrina and leave her for Lisa. Lisa and Mrs Higgins argued in the stairwell and Mrs Higgins flipped out and gave her a shove. Believe me, you do not want to make that woman mad.’

  ‘She must have been mad at you too.’

  ‘Yeah, but she still wanted me to marry her daughter. I think part of that was to get her hands on my family’s money.’ Cody’s family were old money rich. ‘Sabrina confided in me that her family is having financial problems. Their house is in foreclosure.’

  Samantha Higgins didn’t strike me as the kind of woman who’d enjoy seeing her financial and social status decline. If she thought Cody and Lisa were getting serious she might have figured her last chance at saving the Higgins’ fortunes was to break them up for good. Lisa’s death had certainly accomplished that.

  ‘Mrs Higgins told me what she’d done and said that if I didn’t pay her half a million bucks she’d tell Sabrina about my affair with Lisa next.’ He pushed me to the ground. ‘I couldn’t let that happen. I love Sabrina, so I strung her along until after the wedding.’