"Maybe."
"Come on, Ella. You are the best amateur sleuth around," he said in a teasing tone. "Well, one of them. I'm pretty good, too, and we are amazing together."
"Fine," I admitted, "I am going to investigate. Does that mean you want to help?"
"Yes, please," he said.
"What do you know about the current mayor? Is he a crook?" Ever since I saw Max with his pin on I couldn't help but think he was a criminal.
"Mark Strous?" Rory asked himself. "Ah, from what I remember there were a few near scandals. He was accused of rigging the ballot by his opponent in the first election he won seven years ago. Other than that there are the usual rumors that he is in the pocket of big business, including the Stewarts and that construction company that Paul runs."
"D&B Construction? Paul Cornet isn't a bad guy," I protested.
Rory shrugged. "He got several contracts involving the new gym and that high rise your mother fought against. Some people think the mayor took bribes. There are a few more cases. I can look into them for you. See which are legit."
"Yes," I said. "I would love it if you could help me with that. I'm going to try and talk to Helen's campaign manager. See if any threats were made against her. Then I might want to meet the other candidates. But right now I want to enjoy my picnic."
"Brilliant, because I'm part of your picnic," he said and grinned up at me.
My phone rang. Rory tried not to look disappointed.
"I'm sorry," I said, and answered. It was Ruby.
"Are you going to investigate this case, Ella?" she asked.
"Hi, Ruby," I said cheerfully. "How is Detective Garza?"
"Oh, Ella, she still hasn't woken up," Ruby said with a sniff. "I need to know if you're going to investigate this one."
"Detective Garza made it clear to me that I should stop playing cop, Ruby. So..." I trailed off, not enjoying the lie.
"Don't bother lying, Ella," Ruby cried. "You're lousy at it."
I bowed my head. Ruby was right. She was also my friend and deserved better. I took a deep breath. "Yes. I was already talking strategy with Rory. I hope you're not going to try and stop me, Ruby, because I like the detective and I liked Helen and this feels really personal."
"No, no, I'm not going to stop you, Ella," Ruby said. "I want in. I want to help you find the killer. No one knocks my boss unconscious and gets away with it. So can I?"
"Can you?" I asked.
"Can I help you? I need to help you," Ruby said.
"Oh well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse? Of course, Ruby!"
"Great. I'll call you tonight." Ruby said, hanging up.
Rory's eyes sparkled. I grinned at him.
"We are on the case," I said. "And the cops are assisting us."
"Not until we finish our picnic," he ordered.
I popped open a bag of chips and offered it to him. I wasn't about to admit how happy I was to have him and Ruby on my team. He would be entirely too smug.
Chapter 4
Rory's phone rang while we leaned against the oak tree. He had his arm around me and had to work to get the phone out of his jeans' pocket. I didn't move to help him free his arm, choosing instead to lace my fingers with his on the trapped arm. He grinned at me.
Phone in hand, he grimaced saying, "It's work. Hello?"
Rory pulled his hand loose and leaned away from her. "I know," he said into the phone. "But the truck wasn't...Yeah. Fine. Yes. I said I would. Okay, I'll call him. No. Yeah okay. I figured that."
He hung up, his expression saying it all.
"You have to go back to work," I guessed.
Rory nodded, a mutinous expression marring his gentle features. "Not just me. Mary Anne and Gene too. I have to call Gene. He was going to take a nap. The man is eighty. Still the best mail sorter in the world. I hope he lives to two hundred because Mary Anne is sweet, but I think she might have dyslexia."
As he talked, I could see him slowly distancing himself from calm, relaxed 'On a Date Rory' to 'Work Rory.' The difference was subtle, but it definitely involved less hand holding and more scowls. I packed the basket for him while he folded up our picnic blanket. I tried to hide my disappointment but he must have seen it on my face because he pulled me into a big hug and breathed, "I'm sorry," into my hair.
"Hey, you gotta keep me in cheese sandwiches," I teased.
"I will make this up to you, I promise." Rory said earnestly. "As soon as this election is over, we should celebrate. Dinner and a movie, my treat. I'll be rolling in overtime pay' after all."
"Oh, well then you'll definitely be buying the popcorn. Go ahead. I'm going to walk back to the house."
"Walk? Ella it's a twenty-minute walk," Rory protested.
"A twenty-minute walk right past the police station. I want to check in with Ruby, form a plan of attack," I informed him. "I am an amateur sleuth after all."
He grumbled. "I want to play detective too," he said with a hint of disappointment.
"Duty calls." I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.
"Call me tonight and fill me in?" he begged with his beautiful puppy dog eyes.
I kissed his cheek. "Yes." I ruffled his hair. "Now go to work."
Rory's look was rebellious, but after a second he nodded and pulled me into another warm hug. When he let go, he gave me a slow smile and wagged a finger at me. "Be careful."
"Rory," I sighed, "I'm not about to get into trouble at the police station."
"You are capable of more than you think," he teased.
I watched him leave and then took a big bite from a brownie I'd swiped out before handing him the picnic basket. I deserved a treat after being so magnanimous and letting him go back to work. The chocolate would have to do. Besides, investigating would keep me busy enough to forget about my interrupted picnic for now.
Good thing the weather was warm and I'd worn comfortable shoes. The walk to the police station took a while. The trees were finally tinged with the yellow and oranges of Autumn. Mums bloomed everywhere, on doorsteps and hanging baskets. They had gotten to blooming late, so the town was still just as colorful as it had been in the height of summer. If I could bottle the scent of crisp leaves and mum, I'd make a fortune, I thought.
I took a deep breath of fresh air before climbing the steps to the police station. Last time I had been here, the Aunts and I had been in a bit of trouble. This time Garza was. I felt terrible about her being in the hospital, and I was on her bad side. I couldn't imagine how Ruby, who was practically her friend, felt about it. I pushed open the door to see Ruby manning dispatch. She waved me in and over to the coffee pot.
I fixed us both a cup while she sent a few cars over to the park to chase skateboarders away from the fountains and handed off to another officer. She took the cup I offered with a strained smile.
"Follow me into the office and we can talk," Ruby said.
I did and walked into Detective Garza's office and nearly dropped my coffee. Aunt Sarah was sitting there, looking relaxed and sipping from her own styrofoam cup.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, shocked.
"Helping?" Aunt Sarah offered. "I had a few ideas that I wanted to run by Ruby about the candidates. I figured it would be only a matter of time before you turned up. And I win the bet, don't I, Ruby?"
Ruby laughed. "Your Aunt Sarah said as soon as you and Rory were done eating you would zip over here to start investigating. But where's Rory?"
"Got called back into work," I said, only pouting a little. "Believe me, he would rather be investigating with us. This election is burning out our local post office. If we're not careful, the workers will be too exhausted for Christmas Card season."
Aunt Sarah laughed. Ruby grinned.
"So, investigating?" I prompted.
The two women exchanged glances before Ruby took the lead.
"The police department is assigning officers to guard each of the remaining candidates. The mayor has even accepted a plainclothes cop, which surprise
d me because he has been insisting on his own security at every rally," Ruby said. "Helen Christianson's supporters have been calling in. Her death must have reached the news."
"Oh, that's no good," I muttered. "We need to investigate, not have you stuck here fielding calls. What theories do you have, Aunt Sarah?"
"I think the murder was motivated by the election. Helen was leading in the polls. I wanted to get the name of Helen's campaign manager and see if I could get a list of suspects. But Ruby's already spoken with Dan Felder. He says everyone loved her. That can't be true, can it?" Aunt Sarah asked.
"Everyone has enemies," Max Stewart said from the doorway. He'd opened the office door and the sound of madly ringing phones destroyed our little cocoon. "Ruby, Carol told me that things are getting out of hand out there."
Ruby looked past him where several officers were waving her out frantically. She put her cup of coffee into Max's hands and zipped outside with an apology. The door closed, cutting the sound off abruptly, and we were left alone with Max. I bit my lip. This was not my idea of a good time. But Aunt Sarah just leaned forward, her 60's bob making her look like a cub reporter.
"Max, you support Strous, don't you?"
"Yes," he answered warily, his eyes flicking to me and back to my aunt. He was definitely as uncomfortable as I was.
"What do you think about the D&B Construction Company connection?" she asked.
"Peter's a great contractor," Max said loyally. "Everyone in town wants to work with him. So the only connection would be common sense. Strous has always had the town's best interests at heart. Don't you think?" he asked. Max took a gulp of Ruby's coffee and made a face. "This tastes like motor oil mixed with acid and smells a lot like butane. Remind me to get Ruby a single pot brewer. At least the lining of her stomach won't be completely eaten away by this...monstrosity."
"Do any of your subsidiaries do business with the mayor?" Aunt Sarah asked.
Max glowered. "I am not on trial here. Stewarts has several contracts in town."
"Does one of those contracts include the mayor?" Sarah pressed.
I snorted, admiring her tenacity and watching Max's face. He was looking pretty green— although that might have just been the coffee. I couldn't argue with his description. It tasted awful.
"Yeah, sure," he answered. "We hold a portfolio for the mayor. We have also collaborated on several public works projects in town. Satisfied?"
Sarah flopped backwards in her chair. "For now, I suppose. Oh Max, don't be sour! A woman is dead, and she just happened to be Strous' most formidable competition. Surely you can't be certain the mayor's hands are clean?"
"He's a politician," I said. "Being creative is part of the job description."
"Mark Strous is a solid man and a good politician," Max said.
"How did you end up with Ruby?" I asked, since he was in a talkative mood.
Max's expression actually softened. I frowned. Without the sneer he almost looked human. He leaned against the wall. "Because I'm lucky," he told me.
"Or she's very unlucky," I quipped.
The dark look I received from Max made me wish I hadn't said that last part out loud. His stormy glare chilled me. He walked over to where I was and pointed at me, his face reddening. "I know what you think of me, Ella Sweeting and I don't care. Ruby likes me. Keep it that way."
"Or?" Aunt Sarah asked, arching a brow.
Max turned his glare on her, but was brought up short by her dark and dangerous expression.
"Because that sounded very much like a threat right there, Max Stewart, and I won't tolerate it. Ella is my niece— or did you forget that for a moment?" Aunt Sarah's tone was mild, but I saw her hand under the desk glowing lightly. She saw me watching her and the light went out, but she held Max's gaze until he broke first.
"I'm not threatening anyone," Max said through gritted teeth. "I just don't want you prejudicing Ruby against me. Tell her I'll call her." He avoided our eyes as he practically fled the office.
"What was that all about?" I asked, feeling like I got whiplash.
Sarah shrugged delicately. "I think Mr. Stewart might actually like your friend."
"That might be worse than him using her," I said.
"Well I, for one, am going to concentrate on one problem at a time," Aunt Sarah informed me as she grabbed up a list of the candidates and their top aides. "Let's catch a killer, eh?"
I nodded and twitched the list out of her hands as Ruby reentered the room, her hair messy, and her expression harried. She searched the room and asked, "Where's Max?"
"He had to go. Said he would call you," I told her. "We need to concentrate on this for a minute. I think we should interview the candidates. What do you think?"
"Oh, yes," Ruby said. "We were planning on it. Actually I'm planning on it. But I think the earliest we're going to get anyone to talk is tomorrow. It's already late afternoon and I am going to have to field dozens of papers and the local news coverage before I'm able to spare an officer to make appointments. And before you offer, no, it can't be a civilian."
I opened my mouth to argue.
"No," Ruby said, cutting me off. "I am taking a risk just having you in here. I can't let Garza know I called you in to help me on this. At least, not until we have results. She'll kill me...if she wakes up." Ruby frowned, looking a bit lost.
I stood up and took her hand. "When she wakes up, I'm sure she'll get a kick out of yelling at me. I really think she likes doing it."
Ruby snorted. But my teasing had done the trick. She smiled gently. "Yeah, you might be right about that. Go home. Take Sarah. I've got phones and reports and things... See we have all these police officers but there's no real chief anymore. He retired and Garza is our only detective. Didn't make sense to have more in such a quiet town. I'm practically the ranking officer here and that's only because I have seniority. Everyone keeps asking me what to do."
"Good," Aunt Sarah said.
Ruby looked at her in surprise.
"Well, you're clever and you'll do fine. Won't she, Ella dear?"
"Yeah," I agreed easily. "You'll do wonderfully."
Ruby grinned.
Outside, we climbed into Aunt Sarah's car. She turned the radio on and rolled the windows down. I ran a hand through my hair.
"What do you think about Max?" I asked.
"I don't like him," Aunt Sarah said plainly. "I think he is in thick with the mayor."
"I agree," I said, and relaxed back into the seat. "The Stewarts own several businesses in town. If the mayor stays in their pocket, then they benefit. Get a new mayor and the gravy train is cut off. I think we need to look deeper into all the mayor's business dealings, don't you?"
"Oh yes, absolutely," Aunt Sarah agreed.
"I just wish Ruby had better taste in men," I said with a sigh.
Ruby was so clever and a good cop. Why couldn't she see past the expensive suits, expensive cologne and really expensive silk ties to the greasy rat underneath?
"Well, not everyone can be as nice as Rory," Aunt Sarah said with a smirk.
"Stop it," I growled.
"Does he have a brother? You could set Ruby up with him?"
"No," I told her. "But maybe he has a friend... No, I am being just as bad as Mother! Ruby is old enough to make her own bad choices. Like you said, let's deal with the murder. And maybe by the time we've done that Ruby will have figured out on her own that she deserves better than Max."
Chapter 5
Dinner was a quiet affair. We ordered pizza. Mother and Father had decided to go out for a romantic evening leaving the aunts home with no desire to do anything but take advantage of the time to teach me magic. I was tired from a long day but not sleepy so we retired to the sitting room to eat and set tea cakes out for levitation training.
While I nibbled on a pepperoni, I took out a notebook and started scribbling suspects. There were the remaining candidates: Caitlyn Jones and Mike Hutchens. Plus, there was current mayor: Mark Strous. Ruby had given me
a copy of the list of campaign managers. That list included: Amy Penta who worked for Helen, Liam James who worked for Caitlyn, Brian Johnson for Mike and Sierra Jones for Mark. I also added Max Stewart. I didn't think he was a suspect per se, just thought he was someone I needed to speak with again. I jotted down Garza and Daniels on the list of people I would love to talk with.
Hazel pulled the list out of my hands to peer at it. "This our pool of potential murderers?"
"All except the last three," I told her, wiping my hands on a napkin.
I sipped an iced tea while she pursed her lips. Today she was dressed down from her usual somber dresses and bright cardigan to somber pants and a bright cardigan. Her gray hair was down but in an elegant braid. Somehow it made her look both more authoritative and yet softer. How did she do that?
Catching me looking, she arched a delicate eyebrow at me. I winked. Aunt Hazel laughed. "Stop trying to figure me out girl," she remarked. "I am unsolvable. Much like this case currently. What else do we know?"
"Death by strangulation," Aunt Sarah said.
I nodded. "I saw the scarf that strangled her."
"That's funny," Sarah remarked. "Ruby said you mentioned a scarf but there wasn't one on Helen when they took her to the medical examiner. Did Ruby get a copy of the autopsy report yet? What else did you see in the room?"
"Not sure. I'll find out." I bit my lip, thinking. "Everything I saw should be in one of Ruby's reports. I told the officer all of it this morning. I saw her silver tea set was out. Her purse had been tipped over. I saw a business card but I couldn't see who's it was. Change... Glass in the kitchen where I found her...Not much. I was surprised."
"Don't be upset with yourself, dear," Auntie Joe said, dropping her needle punch project. "It's hard to notice everything when you've received such a shock."
"I thought shocks made you remember things better," Aunt Sarah argued.
"It doesn't matter," Aunt Hazel said, cutting them both off. "If she saw more, she will remember it by not dwelling. It will come to her. And if she doesn't, we'll see if Ruby will let us look around Helen's again to jog her memory. But first we need to take advantage of our 'Jeanie-free' time. So tonight we learn minor levitation!"
A Corpse at the Polls: An Ella Sweeting Aromatherapy Magic Cozy Mystery (Ella Sweeting: Witch Aromatherapist Cozies Book 3) Page 3
