Tandem Demise

by Duffy Brown

  Cal shook his head and tried to help Daniela sit up. “No way. With all the tourists the insurance company won’t let us keep any live ammo anywhere near this fort.”

  “I...I didn’t think it was loaded.” Daniela steadied herself and leaned against the wheel of Cal’s chair. She held up the little silver derringer with two fingers.

  Everyone stepped back and Sutter took the gun. “Why would it be loaded?”

  “I fired it last night for fun, but I didn’t think there were bullets left in the other barrel. I sort of forgot there were two barrels. I just wanted to scare him a little and when he fell down I figured I scared him a lot.”

  Color returned to Daniela’s cheeks. “All I wanted were tables and chairs. Somebody on this freaking island has got to have some tables and chairs and I needed Bladen to think I meant business so I pulled out the gun and maybe I happened to squeeze the trigger and don’t look at me like that, these are desperate times.”

  Daniela swiped a strand of hair from her forehead and squared her shoulders. “Guess my wedding planner’s not going to be much help now. I swear the man can’t do anything right.”

  Sutter looked a little dumbfounded. Considering he was once an undercover mob boss, that was saying something. “You don’t shoot people over tables and chairs.”

  “Let’s go with the heat of the moment and an unfortunate accident that wasn’t planned.”

  “Let’s go with involuntary manslaughter.”

  “I like my idea better.” Daniela stood and dusted herself off. “But right now I need to get dressed. I think my zit is getting smaller and is that the aroma of roasting game hens wafting my way? That means the caterer is on the way and all systems are a go.”

  Sutter stood. “Are you serious?”

  “Absolutely. Game hens are my favorite.”

  “Look, you can’t get married here. This is a crime scene.”

  “Oh my goodness, you are so right. What was I thinking?” Daniela pushed up the sleeves on her shirt. “We need to do something with this body. I’ll get the feet, some of you men grab the arms, and we can drag Bladen into the post headquarters. We’ll cover him up with those god-awful blankets he bought and throw a few over all this messy blood. Why in the world are you all just sitting there looking at me like I’ve got two heads. There’s work to be done. Let’s get a move on, people. Tick tock.”

  “I bet some brides really do want to kill their wedding planners,” Scooter said as I hauled my tired self up onto a stool at the end of the crowded bar, “but death by musket ball is a little over the top. So, did you take an arm or a leg?” Scooter slid a beer in front of me as the jukebox blared a very inappropriate Bang, Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down.

  “Doc Prichard took Bladen to the medical center in the ambulance,” I said, trying to ignore the fact that this probably had something to do with my black cloud. “Sutter took a totally pissed off Daniela to jail, the caterers and I took the food to a homeless shelter on the mainland, and Irish Donna and Petula took Mariah Carey here.” I nodded at the lovely wedding cake with the first two layers half eaten. “Wedding cake without having to cough up a wedding present is a pretty sweet deal. No wonder business is good tonight.”

  Scooter added a plate of fried green beans next to my beer. “Business is good because we’re all wondering how to camouflage another murder so the fudgies don’t stampede for the docks and the island goes bankrupt. A dead dockworker can be chalked up to a rough way of life, but Bladen was a wedding planner bumped off in broad daylight at a major tourist attraction. How do we get away with that one?”

  I took a sip of beer. “Daniela and friends are billing this as a fort malfunction that happened after hours, whatever that is, to avoid further embarrassment. But if anyone else croaks we’ll need an emergency town council meeting to come up with more lies. I think we’re fresh out.”

  “Or we can just go with the truth for a change.” Sutter reached over my shoulder, grabbed my beer and gulped half the glass. “Bladen’s demise was an accident and not caused by Daniela and really was a fort malfunction of sorts.”

  Sutter snagged two fried green beans and plopped them in his mouth. “Fact is,” he said between licking his fingers, “Daniela’s getting married as we speak on the front porch of the Grand Hotel, new wedding cake and all, proving that money can indeed buy happiness. Doc said Bladen was killed with a musket ball and not a 41 rimfire which is the ammo in Daniela’s derringer, meaning she’s off the hook. Some of the reenactors use their guns for hunting and one of them must have forgotten they had a live ball loaded. When they did a practice firing, Bladen was in the wrong place at the wrong time. None of the reenactors knew Bladen so there’s no motive and no way of knowing which musket the ball came from.”

  “So it’s classified as an accident?” I asked.

  “Not exactly.” Finn walked up and put his hand on Sutter’s shoulder. “We got a problem, Houston, a big one. Nate Sutter,” Finn said in an official cop voice, “you’re under arrest for the murder of Bladen Powers. We found your gun.”

  Everyone in the bar froze, Scooter pulled the plug on the jukebox, and the place went dead quiet. Sutter did a slow turn to face Finn. “What are you talking about? Bladen was shot with a musket ball. I have two Glocks, my first BB gun, and granddad’s World War II revolver.”

  Finn held up an evidence bag with the 1812 flintlock Sutter had gotten as an award. “One of the reenactors was cleaning up and it fell out of a wad of tulle in the schoolhouse at the fort. It’s been fired recently, Nate. Molly told me to take a long walk off a short pier when I said she should bring you in for questioning so that’s why I’m here. What the heck’s going on?”

  Sutter’s brows knit together. “I forgot the pistol at the Grand Hotel two nights ago and haven’t seen it since. Do you really think I’d be stupid enough to leave a murder weapon at the scene of the crime?”

  Finn did a slow headshake. “You were at the fort for the wedding, nobody else was tying bows, and it would be easy enough for you to come back later and get it when investigating the crime scene. You knew Bladen and John from your undercover days and they thought you ran off with a lot of money so they were out to get you.”

  “So I got them first? I didn’t take that money.”“Expensive presents, new digs.” Finn added.

  “Investments.”

  “To launder the cash. And you are smart enough to use the flintlock to shoot a musket ball and pass it off as a wayward shot from one of the muskets during a drill. You know the fort, you know the soldiers hunt with their muskets, and you know how to get away with murder. This is the way the district attorney will play it. Except...”

  Finn ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes for a second. “Except I know you’re not a killer. Everyone in this room knows this is a frame job. But unless something happens right now to keep you out of jail so you can prove yourself innocent, I’ll have to arrest you.” Finn gazed around the room. “Does everyone understand what I’m saying?”

  We all exchanged looks, nodded, and then accidentally on purpose I fell against the cake table. Mariah Carry swayed like a high-rise in an earthquake then tumbled over onto Finn, plastering his chest with buttercream rosettes, delicious goo, and a bride and groom figurine perched on his shoulder.

  “Oh my goodness, how in the world did that happen?” I jumped in front of Finn, swiping at the mess across his front. The crowd parted like Moses and the Red Sea and Sutter bolted for the door. The crowed closed ranks as if nothing happened and Finn asked, “Where’d Nate go?”

  “Nate who?” Scooter plugged in the jukebox and handed Finn a mug of beer. “It’s my latest small batch brew. I didn’t know what to call it, but now I’m going with The Great Escape. Let me know what you think.”

  Everyone went back to what looked like drinking and eating and darting as usual but underneath the place buzzed about Sutter. From what I could tell the odds were twenty-to-one in Sutter’s favor. I plucked the bride and groom figure
off Finn’s shoulder and licked icing from the bottom. “Now what do we do?” I asked Finn around a mouthful.

  “Now we find out who really killed Bladen and John and is trying to pin it on Nate and why. Any idea where he’ll hide out? We need to talk.”

  I stuck the bride and groom in Finn’s pocket, their little heads peeking out over the top. “You’ve jeopardized your job and integrity enough with this latest charade.” Fearing a buttercream overdose, I resisted the urge to pluck a rosette from Finn’s collar. “You don’t need to add aiding and abetting a fugitive. Besides, I have no idea where Sutter is.”

  Finn gave me a half grin. “You really suck at lying.”

  “Yeah, but this time I’m telling the truth and at least I’m not the one covered in wedding cake.” I gave Finn a kiss on the cheek and headed for the door. I pushed it open to life as usual except for the resident chief of police on the lam. Lovers walked hand-in-hand, a Mission Resort taxi trotted past making a final night trip back to the hotel, and Fiona ran my way.

  “What happened now?” She huffed when we met up under the streetlight. “I saw Nate tear out of the Stang like his pants were on fire and he didn’t stop or even say hi. Did he figure out who killed Bladen?”

  “Yes and no.” I pulled Fiona into the alley beside the bar and lowered my voice. “Bladen was shot with the pistol Sutter got as an award.”

  Fiona’s jaw dropped. “Get out of town.”

  “Why the heck couldn’t they have given Sutter a blasted plaque like every other committee around here? But no, it had to be a flipping gun that actually worked and now he’s really in a mess. One of the reenactors found the pistol at the fort, it was recently fired, Sutter knew John and Bladen from the bad old days in Detroit, the motive being Sutter stole money. Finn came in to arrest Sutter, and then Finn sort of let Sutter slip away.”

  “That’s my man. Always doing the right thing, and he knows Sutter is innocent. So, why is there buttercream icing on your fleece?”

  “Let’s just say you’ll want to eat Finn up with a spoon in more ways than usual. We need to talk to Sutter. Nearly everyone on the island would hide him except he won’t go that route. He wouldn’t put anyone in harm’s way with the killer out there, and he wouldn’t want to get someone in trouble with the law. My guess is he’s headed for a place out of the way.”

  “Girlfriend, it’s an eight-mile island, there is no out of the way. Nate’s tucked in somewhere for the night. Maybe the Grand Hotel stables or the butterfly house or the back room at Doud’s Market between cases of potato chips and Campbell’s chicken noodle soup. Who would want to knock off Bladen and frame Sutter for it?”

  Fiona shook her head. “I got nothing and it’s been a long day. You got the cats to feed and I’ve got Finn, but you need got to cross your heart and pinky-swear you won’t do anything on your own. The killer’s out there and like you said before, another body won’t matter to him or her one little bit.”

  Fiona took my thumb and crossed it over my heart and circled my pinky with hers. “Breaking a cross-heart pinky swear along with your black cloud will have you growing facial hair by morning and all your teeth will fall out. For all our sakes, go home.”

  Fiona hugged me then headed for the front door of the Stang. I started for the bike shop then made a detour for the police station.

  Molly wouldn’t arrest Sutter, but she might know the best hideouts for fugitive cops. This wasn’t exactly sleuthing on my own and risking facial hair. It was more of a fact-finding mission, right? Here’s the thing, I needed to talk to Sutter by myself. Molly took an oath to uphold the law and bring in the bad guys and Finn-the-cop did the same. Getting Fiona involved would complicate her relationship with Finn and they were really happy together. I wanted it to stay that way.

  I turned right onto Market. The outside light to the police station/courthouse stayed on all night, but the inside of the building was dark meaning Molly had already locked up. Not that I could blame her with Luca McYummy waiting. I hurried on past the closed doors then slowed and stared at the side windows. Was that the swish of a flashlight darting around inside the police station? I knew that swish since I’d done it myself a time or two.

  But who would break into a police station other than me? Bad guys wanted out not in. Except this may not be a bad guy. Where was the very last place anyone would ever think to look for a fugitive? And this particular fugitive knew how to disarm the alarm system.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Okay, Sutter, where the heck are you?” I whispered into the darkness of the police station after using my trusty purple paperclips to get in the back door. The red Exit sign glowed above and a faint thread of outside lamplight angled its way into the hall, offering little in the way of visibility.

  “In the cell. What are you doing here?”

  “The sight of you behind bars in your own jail is worth the price of admission. Ouch.”

  “Watch the corner.”

  “I would watch it if I could see it.”

  I felt along the wall until I got to iron bars and then an opening. I shuffled inside the cell, feeling the empty air until I touched Sutter’s forehead, strong chin that needed a shave, slightly crooked nose from one too many police encounters, and lips that had kissed mine not nearly enough. Where did that last part come from? From being alone in the dark with a man... this man.

  My eyes started to adjust to the dark and Sutter took my hand and pulled me down beside him onto the bed. “Anyone see you come in?”

  “You’re talking to the queen of subterfuge. This mattress is really comfy.”

  “Serta Perfect Sleeper.” His shoulder brushed mine. “Only the best for Mackinac criminals that consist mostly of bar fight refugees and BRWIs, better known as Bike Riding While Intoxicated. You smell like vanilla.” He leaned back against the wall and exhaled a tired sigh.

  “Don’t use your phone flashlight, the rays bounce off the walls and are visible from outside. That’s how I knew you were here. So,” I leaned back against the wall next to Sutter, suddenly tired to the bone. “Got any idea who wants John and Bladen dead and wants to frame a once-upon-a-time prissy mob boss for the deed?”

  Sutter grinned, his teeth white against the night. “Not sure how the mob boss thing got started. I was undercover alright but as a — okay, you’re really going to love this one - wedding planner.”

  “Very funny.”

  That got me a half-smile and a wink. “My gun fell into a tub of glitter glue and fixing floral arrangements and buffets got to be knee-jerk reaction.”

  “Your serious?”

  “You think I’d make that up?”

  “Well dang. That explains a lot, the bows, the flowers, why your desktop is neat and desk drawers a mess. No one looks underneath the glitz.”

  “How do you know about my desk drawers?”

  “Lucky guess. So a wedding planner because there are a bunch of brides and grooms robbing banks and knocking off liquor stores these days?”

  “Because brides and grooms order a lot of expensive liquor and wedding planners are in the perfect position to over order and smuggle the excess into Canada, especially with Windsor only a short, fast boat ride to Detroit.”

  Sutter massaged the back of his neck, his shoulder brushing mine again. “The Canadian and US border patrols on the Detroit River knew something was going on, but the pickup and drop off locations for the boats changed each time. After a month of bow/flower/tulle/garter/party training I got hired on as a wedding planner by Wedding Wonderland because they thought something fishy was going on. Before that the only tulle I knew was of the screwdriver and hammer variety. Anyway, I wormed my way into the operation and got a tipoff that ended up being an ambush. I’d blown my cover, caught a bullet in the leg, and used a garter I had in my pocket to stop the bleeding.”

  “There wasn’t enough evidence to nail anyone,” Sutter went on. “Finn sent me back here to recuperate and lay low. I was the obvious one to have run off with the
money. They knew I was a cop and that I knew the lake. My guess is that John asked around about me while working on the freighters and told Bladen, thinking that together they’d get me to give them the money or they’d rat me out as a crooked cop. I think Bladen must have been the brains behind this all along and knocked off John so he could keep the money.”

  “Except now Bladen’s dead. So who’s really behind this?”

  “That’s just it, I still keep coming up with Bladen. He knew the wedding business, how to fudge orders, and he knew John, who had a crew. What if John and Bladen’s murders aren’t connected?”

  “Curtis was after him for sleeping with his fiancée.”

  “And Curtis threatened me with legal action for not arresting Bladen. Eileen Fisher wanted me to arrest Bladen for breach of contract. He promised her she could be his assistant and all he wanted was a roll in the hay. But murdering someone over a job?”

  “And being two-timed. Bladen was doing the deed with her too. She threatened Bladen with a hedge trimmer and a haircut is not what she had in mind. And she was at the fort,” I added starting to put the pieces together. “Anyone could have taken the pistol from my workbench and the whole town knew the reenactors were practicing for the wedding. I gotta say that knocking off Bladen with your pistol with the same ammo was really clever. I need to pick up Nancy Drew at the Metivier Inn tomorrow and I can chat it up with Eileen. Before you launch into a lecture about staying out of trouble, I ruined a perfectly delicious cake to save your butt so... Sutter?”

  I looked over at Sutter. His eyes were closed, breathing slow and steady, head tilted slightly to the side. Taking his shoulders I tipped him over onto the pillow, hauled his legs up onto the bed, and covered him with a blanket, no doubt from Pottery Barn. I took the cell phone from his hand. There was a callous on his thumb and more across his palm; his skin was rough. It was a workman’s hand. He was a man who got the job done no matter what and I liked him a lot. And he was in a ton of trouble. It was one thing to come up with ideas on who might be the killer, it was another to prove it and we were a long, long way from that.