Black & White Glazed Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 59

by Susan Gillard

  “Or,” Amy said. “It was no accident at all.”

  “She didn’t do it,” Hoskins repeated.

  “Detective Shepherd?” a woman’s voice asked.

  The group looked and saw two young women approaching them. They had the same build and hair color as the victim, Vera Rogers.

  “I’m Detective Shepherd,” Ryan said, rising. “How can I help you?”

  “You can tell us what you’re doing to catch the person who killed our aunt,” said the first woman. Her voice cracked as she said it, and she pulled a tissue out of her purse to wipe her eyes.

  “Pull yourself together,” said her sister with no sense of sentimentality.

  “I’m sorry. We should introduce ourselves. I’m Virginia Rogers,” said the crying woman.

  “Veronica,” said the other lady.

  “I’m sure you’re working hard on this case,” said Virginia. “But we needed to check on it ourselves. When they came to our house and told us Aunt Vera was murdered, I couldn’t believe it. But now I want to make sure that everything possible is being done for her.”

  “We’re very sorry for your loss,” Heather said.

  “She was so young,” Virginia said. “And she never bothered anybody. She just kept to herself and then did her choir thing. Why would somebody want to kill her?”

  “That’s what we intend to find out,” Ryan said.

  “I guess you’ll be inheriting all her stuff?” Hoskins asked. “Since you’re her family?”

  “I can’t even think of that,” Virginia said. “Not when the person who killed her is still out there.”

  “I could,” Veronica said. “Do you have any idea when this will be wrapped up, and we can see our inheritance? I’d be interested in knowing that.”

  “Is it a large inheritance?” Hoskins asked.

  Heather and Amy shared a look. Hoskins was finally asking relevant questions to a case. Maybe all he needed was a loved one to be accused of murder to start doing real work.

  “No,” Virginia said. “She didn’t have a lot.”

  “She’s right,” Veronica agreed.

  “And I don’t want her stuff. I want Aunt Vera back. But since that is impossible, I want her killer caught.”

  “We heard you had a lead,” Veronica said, casting her attention away from her inheritance. “Is that true?”

  “We do have a lead,” Ryan said cautiously, “But there are many more we have to investigate.”

  “Do you mind if we ask where you were yesterday afternoon?” Heather asked.

  “You think we could have done this?” Virginia asked.

  “We have to follow every lead. And it would be nice to rule you out. If you visited your aunt’s house before your fingerprints would be at her house, and that could explain it.”

  “We would go over there all the time,” Veronica said. “All the time.”

  “We were there somewhat recently,” Virginia said. “The day before. We’d been helping her clean out her attic.” She started to tear up again. “And now I guess we’ll never finish it. Aunt Vera will never see her attic all finished.”

  “Stop it,” Veronica said to her sister. Then she looked to the investigators. “We were home together when it happened. And there were several witnesses. Virginia had some friends over.”

  “There were five of us all together,” Virginia said. “Us, Becky, Tommy, and Finn.”

  “We were together all afternoon,” Veronica said.

  “I just can’t believe this happened,” Virginia said.

  “You’re telling me,” said Hoskins.

  “Promise us you’ll arrest the person who did this,” Virginia said. “I want them to rot in a cell.”

  “We’ll arrest the right person,” Ryan told them.

  The sisters left. Virginia kept crying, while Veronica remained aloof.

  “That was a good promise,” said Hoskins. “We’ll arrest the right person, and prove Millie in innocent.”

  “Of course, there’s one problem with this. And I think we need to ask Millie about it,” said Heather. “What were her fingerprints doing on the murder weapon?”

  Chapter 9

  “Hoskins, you’re going to have to stay out here,” Ryan said. “We can’t have you interrogating a suspect that you’re married to. We’re going to have to follow protocol on this.”

  Hoskins grumbled but agreed to stay on the other side of the one-way mirror that looked into the interrogation room. Millie was sitting at the table, looking nervous. Heather, Amy, and Ryan joined her on the opposite side of the table. Amy took out a table to take notes during the questioning.

  “You look worried,” Heather noted.

  “This is going to reflect poorly on my Hosky, isn’t it?” Millie said. “He was just going to be honored by the mayor. And now this. And poor Vera.”

  A thought occurred to Heather. “Do you know anyone who would want to stop Hoskins’s award?”

  “No,” Millie said. “I don’t think it was that big a deal to anyone else. The only person he mentioned might be annoyed by it was, well, you. He mentioned that you didn’t always give him credit for the work that he did.”

  They heard a bump on the other side of the window.

  “Is that him?” Millie asked.

  “Let’s, please, just focus on the questions about the murder,” said Ryan.

  “I’ll try,” Millie said. “But I thought I went through this all. Did I forget something?”

  “Something big,” said Amy.

  “Your fingerprints were found on the murder weapon,” Heather said. “Can you explain that?”

  “Oh, that,” said Millie, looking a little more at ease. “Yes, that I can explain. When I came in, before I saw what happened to Vera, I saw the knife on the ground. I thought it was dangerous there.”

  “She did say something like that before,” said Ryan.

  “Well, I didn’t want anyone to get hurt so I picked it up and put it on the table in the hallway,” said Millie. “That was what killed her?”

  “Yes, it was,” Ryan said.

  “I should have realized that before. I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time,” said Millie.

  “That might make sense,” said Heather. “I thought the location of the knife was strange. But if the killer wiped it and dropped it on the floor, then it all makes more sense.”

  “Unless, of course, it was done just to confuse us,” Amy said.

  “But that is what happened,” Millie said. “I know I am having the worst luck in this regards. Well, not worse than Vera. But still, terrible luck. I didn’t kill her.”

  “Your reaction to seeing her was strange,” Heather said. “Your husband is a policeman. Why didn’t you call him? Or anyone at 911?”

  “I know my reactions were bad,” Millie said. “I know they don’t quite make sense now. It was just how I reacted at the time. I had never seen someone like that before. I was scared.”

  “Why did you ignore Hoskins’s call earlier?” Heather asked. “He said he had tried to reach you before.”

  “I didn’t hear it. That must have been when I was trying to revive Vera,” said Millie. “It keeps playing in my head. It was so awful. Do you think I could have saved her? And I just failed at my attempts? My reactions were that wrong?”

  “If you arrived like you said you did, then it was too late to save her,” Ryan said. “There was nothing you could have done.”

  “I should feel relief at that,” Millie said. “But the way you said “If I arrived like I said I did,” it was almost as if you didn’t believe me.”

  “We want to,” said Ryan. “But there is so much evidence against you.”

  “Why would I go out of my way to meet you all if I was going to miss it and kill somebody?” Millie asked. “I could have planned a better murder if I did it. I am married to someone who knows all about crime.”

  “Maybe that’s what you are doing,” Heather said. “You’re creating reasonable doubt. We’re won
dering about everything you did.”

  “I didn’t kill her,” Millie said. “I promise.”

  Heather looked her in the eye. She believed her. She changed her line of questioning.

  “What was Vera’s relationship with her nieces like?” Heather asked.

  “I think it was good,” said Millie. “They would visit her a lot. They were also members of the choir with her. They looked like a happy family.”

  “Do you know anyone who would want to hurt her?” asked Heather.

  “No. I can’t think of anyone who would want to kill her,” said Millie. “Though…”

  “What?’ Heather asked.

  “Passions have been running high in choir practice. I told you about the controversy surrounding the songs. There were a few people that were angry about. I wouldn’t have thought it could lead to murder though,” she said.

  “That’s the motivation that the police are currently assuming was yours for killing her,” said Heather. “It’s worth checking out.”

  “Who were the people who had the biggest problem with her?” asked Ryan.

  “There was Debbie. She was upset because she could never get her family to come to concerts anymore because of the music. Rose was extremely competitive. She was always trying to hit the highest notes and wanted more solos from Vera. And then there’s Bob. He’s a bit of a diva. Could one of them really be the killer?”

  “If we don’t think it’s you, then it’s got to be someone else,” said Heather. “And I think talking to them is a good first step.”

  Chapter 10

  “I’m ready,” Hoskins said. “I’m going to catch this murderer and drag her in.”

  “Right now she’s only a suspect,” said Heather. “Let’s question her before we arrest her.”

  “Right,” Hoskins agreed. He had taken out a candy bar and was chewing it before they spoke to a suspect, but other than that his other bad habits seemed to disappear. He was willing to do what was necessary in order to get to the bottom of the case. He wasn’t looking for the path of least resistance. He was looking to catch a killer.

  Heather knocked on the door, and a woman answered it. She looked surprised by the amount of people on her doorstep. Heather had to admit that it was a bit intimidating having all four of them standing there together.

  “Debbie Rylance?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hello,” Ryan said. “We’re Detectives Shepherd and Hoskins with the Hillside Police. These are our associates, Heather Shepherd and Amy Givens, who consult on cases with us. Do you mind if we ask you some questions?”

  “I guess not.”

  She led them inside the house. She yelled at her teenage sons to go to their rooms so that they could have the living room. The extra seating was necessary with all the investigators.

  “So, what is this about?” Debbie asked.

  “We’d like to ask you some questions about Vera Rogers,” said Heather.

  Amy took out the tablet again to take notes. She waited for the first thing that Debbie would say.

  “I heard she was dead,” Debbie said. “That’s a shame. She could be annoying, but it’s sad to know she was killed.”

  “Why do say she was annoying?” Hoskins asked.

  Heather was impressed by how quickly he had jumped on that question. She had been about to ask it herself.

  “She was very controlling about the music that we did at choir,” said Debbie. “It had to be her way or the highway. And the pieces she was picking were terrible. Nobody wanted to listen to them. And nobody wanted to hear them.”

  “You found that frustrating?” Heather asked.

  “Of course, I did,” said Debbie. “I had a hard enough time trying to get my family to come to my concerts. Now, because of the music, they absolutely refuse. At least, the boys do because of the music. I think their father has an entirely different reason.”

  “And what reason is that?” Heather asked.

  “Who are you two again? Associates of the detectives? Are you psychologists or doctors or CSI people?”

  “We’re private investigators. And we’ve been helpful on a few cases before,” she said modestly, keeping the true high number of crimes they helped solve to themselves.

  “Private investigators? That’s great,” said Debbie. “I want to hire you.”

  “We’re already working on a case,” said Heather. “We’re investigating Vera Rogers’s murder.”

  “Yeah, I know. But these other cops are working on that too. I have a good case for you ladies,” said Debbie.

  “We’d rather focus on what happened to Vera Rogers,” said Heather.

  “I’ve told you everything I know about that,” said Debbie.

  “Not everything,” said Heather. “You haven’t told us where you were at the time the crime was committed. Where were you yesterday afternoon?”

  “Doing a not-so-great job at the one I want you to take over,” said Debbie. “Tailing my husband.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Ryan.

  “I mean that I think that low life has been two timing me while I’ve been at the choir. I think he uses my practices and concerts as a cover to cheat on me. I was following him yesterday. I saw him walking with another woman, and then I lost them. I thought they went into one of the shops in the street, and so I sat there waiting, hoping to see them come out.”

  “Did anyone see you?” Hoskins asked.

  “I don’t think he did. But I didn’t see them leave, so maybe they did. I sat there for two hours,” Debbie said. “Someone official did see me though. A police officer came by. He was going to give me a parking ticket before he saw that I was still in the car. When I told him what was happening, he was sympathetic. He suggested I find a private investigator to follow my horrible husband around instead of doing it myself. And now a PI has come waltzing right into my house. It’s fate.”

  “We really need to solve this case first,” Heather said.

  “We’ll be checking on this alibi,” Ryan told the woman who was only focusing on Heather and Amy.

  “But after this case? Will you help catch the lying louse?” Debbie said. “I want to take him for everything he’s got in court.”

  “We don’t really do that kind of investigating,” Heather said.

  “But you can make an exception?” Debbie asked.

  “Tell you what, after we solve this case, I’ll see if I have any availability,” Heather said.

  Debbie thanked them, as they left.

  “Sneaky, sneaky,” Amy said.

  “What is?” Hoskins asked. “Did I miss something? Did she do it?”

  “I’m talking about Heather,” said Amy. “She said she’d check her availability after this case, but she’s going to be moving out of state.”

  Heather laughed. “You picked up on that, eh?”

  “I just hope she doesn’t come after me after you’re gone,” said Amy. “I don’t want to get involved in the drama of those cases. I like the nobleness of catching killers.”

  “And we’re not any closer than when we started,” Hoskins said.

  “I’ll check on her alibi and see if I can track down the policeman she mentioned. I’ll see if it’s a real alibi,” said Ryan.

  “But if it is,” Hoskins started.

  “Then we’re down one suspect,” Heather said.

  Chapter 11

  Ryan was able to confirm with the cop that saw Debbie Rylance on a stakeout at the time of the murder and validated her alibi. They all arrived at the next choir member’s house, hoping they would have more to go on this time.

  Hoskins was still acting like a detective. This time he even had his notebook out like Ryan did for recording notes while talking to a suspect.

  After they had introduced themselves, Rose Dylan invited them inside.

  “We’d like to talk to you about Vera Rogers,” said Ryan.

  “Sure,” said Rose. “What you want to talk about?”

  “How did you get al
ong with her?” Heather asked.

  “Fine,” Rose said. “She had terrible taste in music and refused to give me solos that I rightfully deserved, but we got along fine.”

  “She denied you solos?” Hoskins asked.

  “Yeah,” Rose said. “It was ridiculous. I was only one who could hit the high notes, but she wouldn’t give me the best parts. I don’t know what was going on in her head. Maybe she was going deaf. That’s the only reason I can think of for not giving me the parts.”

  “Did this make you mad?” Hoskins asked.

  “I guess so,” Rose started to say before she noticed Amy taking notes on her tablet. “What sort of tablet is that? You know, I think mine is a little newer.”

  “Great,” Amy said. “This still lets me record notes about what a suspect is saying during questioning.”

  This comment didn’t stop Rose from displaying her own laptop. It was very similar to Amy’s, but Rose was proclaiming hers was better. She kept going on about its features and upgrades, while the detectives tried to get her to focus on the case.

  “I can record any suspicious behavior too,” said Amy. “Like avoiding questioning.”

  “How fast can you type?” Rose asked.

  “I don’t know,” Amy said. “Fast enough to record what you’re saying.”

  “I bet I can type faster than you,” Rose said. Her competitive side was showing.

  “I don’t care,” said Amy.

  “Sure, you do. Do you want to race?” Rose asked.

  “No.”

  “Because you’re sure you’d lose?” Rose taunted.

  “Because we’re trying to catch a murderer,” said Amy.

  “Sure,” said Rose. “There’s always an excuse.”

  Heather tried to refocus the interview. “Miss Dylan, have you ever been to Vera Rogers’s house?”

  “Once or twice,” Rose said. It was clear that she was typing down every word that was said, trying to out-type an annoyed Amy.

  “Have you been in her kitchen?” Heather asked.

  “I guess so,” Rose shrugged as she continued typing.