by Rayna Morgan
"So the killer is still at large."
"Yep. He, or she, is still out there, thinking they got away with it." Standing, Tom stretched his legs and grabbed his baseball cap. "It's time for me to get back to work to see if I can flush them out. Talk to you guys later. Nice to see you, Maddy."
"You, too, Tom," Maddy smiled. "Be careful and stay safe."
After Tom's departure, Paul turned to the women. "Why am I feeling you two are more involved in these crimes than you should be? You haven't been putting your noses in places they don't belong, have you?"
"Paul, you give us no credit," Maddy objected, winking at Lea. "We may like the occasional bout of harmless sleuthing, but we'd never be foolish enough to put ourselves in real danger by interjecting ourselves into crimes as serious as these. Gotta run. Call you tomorrow, Sis." She grabbed her posters and made a hasty exit before Paul could ask more questions.
It would be less than a matter of hours before Maddy would wish the denial she proffered her brother-in-law had been true.
• • •
Paul and Lea pulled into their driveway as Lea's cell phone buzzed, indicating her sister was calling. "Locked yourself out again?"
"No, but if Paul's listening, you can use that as an excuse for why I'm calling. When Tom mentioned his interview with Neal's father, a bell went off. Tom said the stepmother didn't offer him much information, but I know the woman. She loves to gossip. She'd be more than happy to tell us everything she knows about Neal."
Lea hesitated, thinking of a response which wouldn't alarm Paul. "You wouldn't have taken your house key out of your purse at the restaurant, so it's either still in your bag or in your car."
Maddy understood Lea's response. "I'll call Liz tomorrow and tell her I have new dining room pieces I think she'd be interested in. After I've shown her the display on the floor room, I'll invite her for a latte at the Starbucks next door. You can run into us and say you were shopping at the fabric store in the center."
Paul glanced suspiciously in Lea's direction as he pressed the garage door opener. She knew she needed to end the conversation. "Just use your spare key under the flower pot and look for your house key tomorrow when you can see what you're doing."
"We'll be sitting at a table in front of Starbucks at one-thirty. Meet us there."
"Oh, good, I'm glad you found it."
She shook her head for Paul’s benefit. "Maddy would lose her head if it weren't permanently attached."
Later the same night, Lea took Gracie to the back yard to do her business before settling in. "I don't like being elusive with Paul, girl, but I think sometimes he's overly protective. What Maddy and I do is perfectly harmless, and you never know when we might discover useful information. I agree with Maddy. Liz is more likely to open up to us in private than to anyone representing the heavy hand of the law. Besides, I think she'll be more candid about her son-in-law when Neal's father isn't around to hear her remarks."
Gracie looked at Lea, listening intently to every word. She wagged her tail in anticipation of the coming day's events.
CHAPTER NINE
Maddy sang along with her favorite country western radio station as she drove the sisters to her dentist appointment.
"How can you be so chipper when you're going to the dentist?" Lea asked.
"You're the one afraid of dentists, not me."
Lea shrugged her shoulders. "I'll be the first to admit to being a dental coward. I'm also not crazy about flying. You, like Mom, are fearless when it comes to almost everything."
Maddy shook her hair smiling broadly as she pulled into the underground parking at the medical building which housed her dentist. "I only hope you can get enough information to eliminate Beth as a suspect. I haven't heard any reports of her being interviewed by the police. But anyone who knows about her being rebuffed at the altar can't help but wonder if the emotional pain of that mortifying situation caught up with her and made her do something irrational."
"If Neal Henderson would have come out at the time with a reason for calling off the wedding, it could have made the situation a whole lot more bearable. But from the rumors circulating, Beth was as much in the dark as everyone else as to why Neal changed his mind. It left room for a lot of speculation, most of which was unfavorable to Beth."
Maddy scoffed. "I thought she was well rid of the jerk. At least now, he'll never be in a position to cause her further embarrassment."
"Hmmm," Lea mused, opening the door to the dentist's office. "Are we talking about motive now?"
Stepping into the reception area, she was glad to see there was no one else in the room so talking with Beth would be easier. After greetings had been exchanged, Beth signaled Maddy to go through to the hygienist's room.
Lea couldn't help but notice Beth's red eyes as the distressed woman folded a tissue and dabbed her nose. Obviously, Beth hadn't had enough time to recover from what she was feeling.
"I'm so sorry for what you must be going through, Beth," Lea commiserated. "It must have been a terrible shock."
Lea could see Beth was struggling to maintain her composure, but her tone came off callous and unsympathetic. "For someone to be murdered at his age; of course, it's unfathomable. Those things just don't happen in this small town. I can't imagine why anyone would have done such a deplorable thing." Busying herself with paperwork in front of her, she seemed anxious to close the conversation.
"Had you or Neal's other friends seen much of him lately?" Lea asked, trying to keep the tone casual.
"Neal hadn't been in touch with any of our old group for months. Apparently, his job was demanding all his time and attention."
Lea wondered if there were other distractions besides his work which had alienated Neal. She tried to give Beth an opening to denigrate her former fiancé. "Neal's fast rise up the ranks in Don Carson's company was probably quite a game changer for him. It was hard not to notice the flashy red sports cars he was driving around town."
At that moment, Maddy returned to the reception area in time to hear the vitriolic comment which took both her and her sister by surprise.
"Neal got all the goodies he was after. Too bad, he won't be able to enjoy them."
• • •
Tom arranged to meet Neal's sister, Joan Mannix, at a coffee shop close to the hospital where she was an RN. She had made it clear she could give him only thirty minutes of her time since they were short handed on her shift.
He had no problem recognizing her when he walked into Mel's Diner. The woman sitting alone at a table next to the front window was remarkably similar in looks to her late brother. The same blond hair pulled back from a wide forehead, the high cheekbones, and the piercing hazel eyes which met his greeting.
Sliding into the booth across from her, he signaled the waitress for coffee. "I appreciate your taking the time to see me here. I know what hospitals are like. I was afraid we wouldn't be able to have much of a conversation there without you getting a lot of interruptions."
"You're right." She shook her head, pouring cream into her coffee. "It's typically pretty chaotic, but I'm used to it. It's actually nice for me to get a breather like this. It's rare I'm able to take a break during my shift."
"Do you work twelve-hour shifts?"
"No. I'm in the minority at Buena General, working an eight-hour shift. I had worked twelve-hour shifts before we started a family. When our son was born, I took a year off to be at home. I requested eight-hour shifts when I went back to work. Then our daughter came along two years later, so I made the switch to shorter shifts permanent.
I almost went back to twelve-hour shifts when the kids were in elementary school. There was a high demand and a shortage of nurses at the hospital. But I made our family my priority, and I've never regretted my decision. Both kids are in middle school now, and believe me; they need quite a bit of supervision. I can't imagine what high school will be like. They're both good kids, but high school can be a trying time for any young person."
; Tom sympathized. "Not having kids of my own, I lack your experience with that side of adolescence. But in my line of work, I see quite a bit of what happens when parents aren't there for their kids. I think you made the right decision."
A smile crossed Joan's face. "Thank you for saying that. I'm lucky to have a husband who helps with the children, but he's an attorney so he works longer hours than I do."
"Mannix. Is your husband the Mannix of Johnston, Mannix, and Watkins?"
"Yes, that's Bob. I'm just grateful his firm practices corporate law. At least he's not typically tied up in litigation involving a lot of court appearances."
Tom smiled. "Regrettably, I probably spend more time in court than your husband does."
"Which begs the question of why you're taking the time to see me. What is it I can help you with? I imagine you're here to ask about my brother."
"I'm sorry for your family's loss. I know these are difficult days for you."
"Losing someone at a young age is hard for any family. My mother would have taken Neal's death the hardest, but she passed when Neal and I were young. Her battle with cancer was one of the things which led me into the nursing profession."
“Were you close to your brother?”
“Not very. I’m six years older than my brother so we were never together in school.”
“What about Neal and your father?”
She paused, choosing her words carefully. "My father and Neal have never been terribly close. I'd have to say I've always been Dad's favorite.
Those two never saw eye-to-eye. Growing up, arguments between the two of them were common in our house. My mother was the peacekeeper. I went to my room to study any time the shouting started. It may have been a factor leading to my high grades in school." Her remarks were self-effacing but to the point.
"How was it when your father remarried?"
She stared into her coffee cup. "It was great by me. I was glad to see him happy again. But my stepmother never got along particularly well with Neal. She felt he took advantage of Dad."
"In what way?"
"Neal has always been careless with money. Even as a kid, he spent all of his allowance as soon as he got it. Never saved a nickel. Ever since he graduated college, he's had grandiose delusions about himself and how he's meant to live. As far back as I can remember, he's maintained a lavish lifestyle. Usually beyond his salary level. Anytime there was a shortfall, he had no qualms about asking Dad for money to tide him over. Money never repaid, to my knowledge."
From her clipped tone, it was obvious to Tom there was no love lost between the siblings.
"Did you see a lot of your brother?"
"On special occasions but otherwise infrequently. We always had the family to our house for holiday dinners. Last year, he brought his fiancé for Thanksgiving and Christmas. As almost everyone in town knows, he broke the relationship off in an ignominious fashion. To be honest, the way he basically jilted Beth Owens at the altar didn't surprise me. I'm actually glad, for Beth's sake. She probably didn't feel that way at the time, but she was better off without him."
"Do you think Beth harbored resentment against your brother for the way he embarrassed her?"
"She would have had every right to, but no. Beth isn't that kind of person. She was more likely to blame herself. I'm sure it was a matter of my brother being enticed to what he perceived as bigger and better things."
"Can you be more specific?"
"Not really. But after Christmas dinner, Neal was in the kitchen fixing himself a drink while I got the desserts ready. I asked him how he felt about his upcoming nuptials. He seemed even more cavalier than usual. Threw off a sarcastic comment about his not being cut out for monogamy. I asked what he meant. He laughed, picked up his drink, and walked out to the backyard to join the others. We never discussed it again."
"I'm not implying anything in particular, but I have to ask. Do you know if Neal had any enemies?"
"Don't worry about hurting my feelings. I've never been protective of my brother's reputation like our father has. I believe everyone earns their reputation through their actions."
Joan lowered her head, folding her hands in her lap. "The way Neal acted, I'm sure there were plenty of people who didn't like him. There were undoubtedly people besides Beth whom he treated poorly."
She raised her head and looked directly at Tom. "But we weren't involved in each other's lives enough so I can shed any light on anyone who hated my brother enough to kill him."
The candor of the statement caught in her throat. For the first time, Tom saw pain reflected in her eyes.
He extended his hand across the table to drop a business card beside her cup. "You've been very helpful. Again, I appreciate your seeing me at this difficult time. If anything else comes to mind, or if I can be of assistance to you or your family, please don't hesitate to call me."
He picked up the bill, walking Joan to the front door of the diner before returning to the cash register to pay. Pulling money from his wallet, he saw her talking on her cell phone even before she crossed the street to go back to the hospital.
• • •
Lea arrived early at the shopping center where Maddy's furniture store was located, giving herself time to park and go into the fabric store well before Maddy and Liz would arrive at Starbucks. "At least I won't be deceitful telling them where I've been," she told herself.
After buying a skein of yarn, Sherlock's favorite thing to play with, she walked in the direction of Starbucks. Being careful not to slow down as she walked by the coffee store, she listened for her name to be called.
"Lea, hey, Lea."
Turning, the smiled at the two women sitting at the front table.
"Hi, Maddy. I was at the fabric store. Decided to pop by to see if you could take a coffee break with me."
"Perfect timing. I'm on my break now." Turning to the woman sitting across from her, she made introductions. Liz Henderson was a middle-aged, petite woman with short gray layered hair and tastefully applied makeup.
"Please join us." Liz indicated an empty chair at their table.
"Thank you. I'd love to. Missed my morning coffee before my day got started. An iced latte will hit the spot."
When Lea returned to the table after receiving her drink, Maddy was deep in conversation with Liz. "How is Harold doing? It must have been a terrible shock for him."
"He's getting better. Our doctor gave him a prescription which has helped him sleep the last several nights. Of course, the funeral was difficult, but things are getting back to normal if there can ever be such a thing as normal again. Frankly, I'm glad you called. I needed to get away from the house and away from Harold's brooding for a couple of hours."
"Were Neal and Harold close?"
"Not really. Joan is the one who takes after Harold. They've always had a strong relationship. Harold would never admit he wasn't close to his son, but it's the truth. Neal was a hard person for anyone to get close to. I don't mean to discredit Neal, but he was an incredibly selfish individual." Her eyebrows formed a crease as her lips pursed. "I'm not sure he cared for anyone except himself."
"Someone else gave nearly the same description of Neal when they described the way he broke off with his fiancé."
Liz made no effort to hide her feelings. "The way he handled the whole despicable affair was unforgivable. I'm not saying he should have gone through with a marriage he had reason to believe wouldn't last, but the manner in which he humiliated that girl was reprehensible."
Lea could see Liz Henderson was quite a blunt force. It was easy to imagine that she and Neal would have butted heads.
"Did Neal ever discuss his business affairs with his father and you?"
"Never. That was one of his biggest problems. He felt he didn't need anyone's help or advice. From the first time I met the young man, he struck me as the type who thought he was smarter than everybody else. He was the expert. A know-it-all. I suspect he viewed asking for guidance as a sign of weakness.
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Harold told me in his middle and high school years, Neal never asked his parents for help with his homework. He seldom had study buddies over to work on projects. Neal wanted to do things on his own so when he got a good grade, he could take full credit. It was the reason he chose track and tennis. Because those weren't team sports."
"Was he good in sports?"
"He excelled. And when he won, he took all the glory. He didn't have to share it with teammates."
Liz folded and refolded the napkin beside her coffee cup as she spoke. Lea wondered if it was still the strain of the week's events.
"No, he never came to Harold asking for advice or discussing his job. But he was more than willing to come to his father when he needed a little something to tide him over between paychecks or when he overextended his credit lines. Harold was always willing to open his checkbook for Neal. I think it made him feel useful; like he had something to offer his son. Of course, the so-called loans were hardly loans because they were never repaid, but Harold didn't seem to mind."
"Did you notice your son-in-law acting differently in any way lately?"
Liz hesitated, placing her elbows on the arms of the chair and tilting her hands in a pyramid under her chin. "As a matter of fact, I did think something was going on with Neal the last several weeks. Something other than the negative feedback he was getting for the way he ended his engagement."
"What made you think so?"
"He called late one evening. We had listened to the news and were ready for bed. Harold and Neal had a brief conversation which ended abruptly. My husband was visibly upset.
“When I asked about it, he was reluctant to share the details. Neal was apparently still at work, worried about something to do with one of his projects. Harold asked how he could help when Neal interrupted to say someone was entering his office.
“He told his father to disregard the call. He would work it out and didn't need any help."
"Did he hear any more about it from Neal?"
"Not a word. My husband called Neal several times the next day, but the calls went to voice mail each time. Harold started to worry something might have happened to Neal, but he finally got a call around dinnertime.
