Debut Cozy Mystery Box Set 2

by Dianne Harman

  CHAPTER 19

  DeeDee was getting to know the good parking spots on the island, and she easily found a parking place near Starbucks when she and Balto arrived back on Bainbridge later that afternoon.

  She and Balto walked into the coffee shop and headed over to the counter. When they’d gotten halfway across the coffee shop, one of the staff stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “I’m sorry, ma’am. We serve food on the premises, and we don’t allow dogs in here.”

  DeeDee took a deep breath. She’d been telling a lot of lies lately, and lying wasn’t something that came easily to her. She hoped she sounded convincing. “He’s a therapy dog, and he has to stay with me for medical reasons. I’ve never had any problems bringing him in here before. Starbucks has a global non-discrimination policy, as I’m sure you know.” She smiled broadly and continued walking over to the counter, leaving the employee standing behind her, scratching his head.

  Jake had forwarded a picture of Joan that Rob had sent him, and as DeeDee approached she saw her working behind the counter. Joan had blond hair, a color that was definitely from a bottle, but her complexion was flawless. She was still very beautiful, and DeeDee found it hard to believe Joan hadn’t attracted the attention of casting directors for more legitimate movies rather than the underground kind she’d ended up starring in. DeeDee had always believed you shouldn’t judge anyone until you’d walked in their shoes. She didn’t find fault with Joan for what she’d done in her past, because she didn’t know what circumstances had led Joan to star in porn movies. Even as beautiful as Joan was, there was a hardness about her. DeeDee wondered if that was why she hadn’t made it in the mainstream movie industry, or if it was from the break-up with Shane.

  It was 3:00 in the afternoon, a slow time for Starbucks, and although there were a couple of people sitting at tables working on their laptops, there was no one in line to get coffee. Joan walked over to the counter and asked what she could get DeeDee.

  “I’d like a mocha latte and a chocolate chip cookie. Thanks.” DeeDee wasn’t hungry after her lunch at the dog friendly restaurant in Seattle, but Jake liked cookies, and she was making dinner for him later. Rather than having some elaborate dessert, she’d give him the cookie.

  “I’ll bring it over to you. I heard what you said about your therapy dog,” Joan said as she smiled at Balto. “You two guys take a seat, and we’ll look after you.”

  DeeDee chose a table by the window and watched people coming and going on the busy sidewalk outside. She was so happy living on Bainbridge Island, and she was sorry she hadn’t decided to move there sooner. She could have saved herself a lot of lonely months living at the house on Mercer Island, all alone after Lyle had left. It occurred to DeeDee she hadn’t thought about Lyle in a while. There was a time after he moved in with Ariana that he was never far from her thoughts, but that didn’t seem to be the case since she’d moved to Bainbridge Island.

  Even back then, DeeDee knew in her heart that she and Lyle were finished, but having a long marriage end had been hard for her to come to terms with. It had been almost impossible not to analyze the situation and most often blame Lyle for it ending. These days the man in her thoughts was Jake. She looked down at Balto and thought if it hadn’t been for Jake, she wouldn’t have Balto either. She felt pretty lucky.

  “Beautiful day on the island,” Joan said, walking over to the table with DeeDee’s order.

  “I really don’t have anything to compare it to,” DeeDee said. “I just got off the ferry and thought I’d get a cup of coffee. You must live here.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been here for about a year. I like it. I’m thinking of getting a better job, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. My life kind of changed a few months ago, and I’m not real sure what I want to do anymore.”

  “How did it change?” DeeDee asked.

  Joan set the cookie on the table and handed the latte to DeeDee. “A man I was pretty involved with decided he didn’t want to make it permanent. It happens.”

  “I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”

  “It was. I’m gettin’ a little long in the tooth to find a Daddy Warbucks at this stage of the game. Thought he was my ticket to riches, and he was for a time, so now I’m starting over. Maybe I’ll head to Los Angeles and see what’s happening down there.”

  You’re a little long in the tooth to get back in that game, DeeDee thought, remembering what Shane had told her. “When the man decided he didn’t want to make it permanent, was there another woman involved?” DeeDee asked.

  “Yeah, but I didn’t know it until later. She was some big deal at the Pioneer Square Art Gallery in Seattle, like she was the owner. From what I heard, she even had a doctorate in art history.”

  “That would hurt,” DeeDee said stirring her latte.

  “Yeah. It was a real bummer, but even though I was really mad for a long time, and I even thought I hated the woman, I’m over it now. A friend suggested I read some of those self-help books. One of them said something about how you can’t change events or people, but you can change your attitude about them, so that’s what I decided to do. Think it’s time to leave this area. I’m ready for something new.”

  “Good for you, that’s a great outlook to have on life.”

  “Thanks. It was pretty rough for a while, and it’s only been in the last few days that something changed inside me. I realized it wasn’t the woman’s fault, and it probably wasn’t even his fault. It just wasn’t meant to be.” Joan laughed and said, “I’d even considered doing something to her to get him back. Glad I never followed through on that. No, that part of my life is over. Actually, I’m kind of excited about what’s next. You just never know where life’s going to take you.”

  DeeDee looked up at Joan and understood exactly how the woman felt. After the pain she’d experienced when Lyle wanted out of their marriage, she could identify with the pain Joan had gone through when Shane had gotten together with Lisa, regardless of the reasons why. What Joan had said about it not being the woman’s fault, and that it probably wasn’t anybody’s fault, was similar to DeeDee’s own situation.

  DeeDee had gone from blaming Ariana for stealing Lyle away from her, to blaming Lyle, to even blaming herself. In the end, she’d come to the same conclusion Joan had come to. It was just one of those things. Even if Joan didn’t know it, she thought she and Joan had a lot in common.

  Hugh Lynn walked past the window and waved at DeeDee. She waved back with a smile.

  “I thought you said weren’t from the island,” Joan said, watching DeeDee’s reaction.

  “I’m not,” DeeDee said, wondering if that counted as another lie to add to today’s number, because she felt like she belonged here. At some point over the last few weeks she’d started to think of herself as an islander instead of just feeling like she was on vacation. “I just know a couple of people here.” She smiled at Joan. “Thanks, and good luck to you. I really hope things work out for you in the future. You never know what’s around the next corner.”

  DeeDee knew Joan could be the murderer, but from the conversation they’d just had, she didn’t think she was. “Balto!” She looked down at the empty cookie plate and then at the crumbs around his mouth which gave him away. It was very apparent he’d taken Jake’s cookie from right under her nose.

  CHAPTER 20

  DeeDee checked the refrigerator and the pantry after she and Balto were back at home and decided she had everything she needed to make lasagna for dinner. It would be great with a salad and some crispy bread. Lasagna was her signature dish, and she had always gotten compliments when she’d made it for dinner guests. She hadn’t made it for Jake yet, but she was sure he’d like it. From what she’d seen, Jake had a good appetite, but she wondered what he ate when he was at home by himself.

  He’d told her his daughter liked to cook when she was staying with him, but that was only every other weekend. DeeDee was sure Jake was capable of looking after himself, but she enjoyed cooking f
or him, and she certainly had begun to enjoy his company. She knew from personal experience that making meals for just one person wasn’t much fun.

  “Darn it,” DeeDee said, looking in the kitchen cabinet for the lasagna pan. It was only after she’d pulled everything out onto the countertop and gotten distracted cleaning out the inside of the cabinet, that she realized she’d left her lasagna pan at Marlene’s when she’d catered the dinner event.

  “I might as well go over to Marlene’s and get it,” she muttered, looking for her car keys. Marlene’s home wasn’t all that far from where she lived. She looked at the kitchen clock, and decided to make a quick detour along the way. She wanted to see what Matt Benson’s parents’ house looked like. If anyone was around, she’d like to talk to them. DeeDee felt she’d have plenty of time to get back and make dinner before Jake arrived.

  Balto heard the sound of her car keys and ran over to DeeDee. “Balto, I swear I don’t remember you jingling that much when Jake first brought you over to the house,” she said, putting him on his leash. “When he comes over tonight, I want him to help me look at your collar and name tag and see what’s jingling. C’mon, let’s go.”

  The Benson home was only two blocks away, and DeeDee easily spotted the house when she and Balto turned the corner. The house stood out in vivid contrast compared to its surroundings, and it looked like an artist had painted it. The exterior was bright yellow with gray shutters and spring flowers lined the sidewalk. Everything about the place, from the windows to the well-maintained yard, was spotless. She decided that with all the rain in the Seattle area, someone must do nothing but constantly take care of the moisture on the windows.

  As DeeDee slowly drove down the block, she saw an older man bent over in front of the house, cutting some dead leaves off of the flowers. He looked like an older version of his son, Matt Benson, the artist. Mr. Benson looked up at DeeDee’s car as it crept slowly along the curb with the window down.

  “Hello, are you lost?” he asked DeeDee with a smile.

  “No, I’m not lost,” DeeDee said as she brought her car to a stop. “I’m just admiring this lovely place you have here. Your house and yard are beautiful. Do you do all your own gardening? I’m new to the area, and I’m a little unsure about what I should plant.”

  “With all this rain, you can grow pretty much anything, at least that’s what I’ve found to be true.” The old man grimaced as he straightened up, holding his back.

  “Well, you certainly have a green thumb. The house is so beautifully painted, it looks like an artist did it,” DeeDee said.

  “Funny you should say that, ma’am, because my son is an artist, and he’s the one who painted the house. He’s working on developing a reputation in Seattle, so we don’t get to see him near enough.”

  DeeDee was familiar with the pride showing on the man’s face that came from talking about one’s children. She knew her face lit up when she talked about Mitch or Tink. “That’s too bad. It’s always harder on the ones left behind than the ones leaving, but if he lives in Seattle, at least that’s only a short ferry ride away.”

  Mr. Benson’s expression sank. “It may be a short ferry ride, but it must seem like too much time for Matt to spend to get here and back. As a matter of fact, he hasn’t been home in six months. His wife died, and he’s not been himself ever since. My wife and I talk to him several times a week, but it’s not the same.”

  DeeDee understood how he felt. It had been a couple of weeks since she’d seen her own children, and already she felt it was far too long. “I know what you mean. My children live in Seattle, too, and I don’t see them as often as I’d like, but I know they need to build their own lives. It’s been nice talking to you and again, your home is beautiful.”

  “Thanks,” he said. Before going back to trimming the leaves on his flowers, he raised his hand and gave DeeDee a friendly wave as she drove off.

  “Hmm, what do you make of that, Balto?” DeeDee asked. Of course Balto didn’t have an opinion on the matter, but she knew someone who would.

  “Hi, Roz,” DeeDee said into the hands-free phone speaker in her SUV.

  “You don’t have to shout when you’re in the car, DeeDee. I can hear you just fine. What’s going on? Did you find something out?”

  “Not a thing. I’m beginning to think none of the suspects had anything to do with Lisa’s death.” DeeDee told Roz about her visits to see Joan and Katie. “There’s no way it was Joan. I’m sure she might have liked to murder her, but she didn’t kill her any more than I’m about to go and murder Ariana.”

  “And what about the woman that was fired from the museum. Katie, wasn’t that’s her name?”

  “Yes, but I couldn’t find that she had any ties to Bainbridge Island. She told me she’d only been here once, and she pretty much accepted my offer to do some research work on the island’s artists, which I don’t think she would have done if she was involved. Anyway, I don’t see that she had any connection to Lisa, so I think I can rule her out.”

  “What about the gallery guy?” Roz asked.

  “Nothing really on him, either. Jake said that Rob, the guy who works for him and researches things like this kind of stuff, said to forget about him. That leaves me with the artist, Matt. I just talked to his father.”

  “Ahh, yes, the tortured genius. What did you find out about him?”

  “His wife died in a car crash not that long ago,” DeeDee said in a quiet voice. “So, it’s no wonder he was acting a little crazy. Also, his father was very emphatic about his son not having come home for six months.”

  “You’ve lost me,” Roz said. “What has that got to do with him murdering Lisa? Surely he wouldn’t involve his parents in it.”

  “Jake told me the police watched the ferry right after Lisa was killed,” DeeDee explained. “It would have been difficult for the murderer to get off the island in a hurry. He or she would’ve had to have somewhere to go until the heat died down, and a visit to his parents would have been the perfect cover for Matt. I don’t think his father was lying, and I saw Matt myself at his studio in Seattle the day after the murder.”

  “I gather you’re scratching Matt Benson off the list of possible suspects, right?”

  “Yes, I am. Maybe the police have other suspects, but so far we’ve drawn a blank. None of the people on our possible suspects list have turned out to be viable suspects.”

  “Hmm,” Roz said. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  “You killed Lisa Sanders?”

  “Cute, DeeDee, cute. No, it’s serious, but in a good way.”

  DeeDee turned onto the road where Marlene lived. “Roz, don’t keep me in suspense, I’m dying here.”

  There was silence at the other end of the line. When Roz finally spoke, she said in a quiet voice, “I’m moving to Whistler, British Columbia, with Clark.”

  DeeDee digested the news and then said, “Wow, I’m speechless. You know I don’t want you to go, but I’d never ask you to stay because of me.”

  “It’s not forever, Sis. Clark’s company is transferring him up there for at least six months to work on an important engineering project installing the new high-tech cable car system for the ski lifts. The contract might get extended, but who knows? He asked me, and I thought why not? You’re adjusting pretty well into your new life on Bainbridge, and I hardly ever see you. I really like Clark, and I think he might be The One. Anyway, I’ve decided to try it and see what happens, and I’ll probably have a chance to work on my skiing. Maybe I won’t suck so much on the slopes by the time I get back. What do you think?”

  DeeDee knew if Roz was moving in with Clark, not to mention moving away with him, it really was a big deal, like huge. At thirty-nine, Roz had never lived with anyone. “I think,” DeeDee said, “I’m very, very happy for you.”

  DeeDee decided not to mention anything to Roz about the gun thing. It was irrelevant now, and after the uneventful day she’d just spent, she was sure she wasn’t in any dan
ger. Despite her apprehension that morning, the suspects she’d talked to had turned out to be about as dangerous as Balto’s toy rabbit.

  CHAPTER 21

  Just as they had the first time she’d gone to the Palmer home, which seemed like a lifetime ago, the gates to Marlene’s house opened when DeeDee’s car approached. She thought back to that visit a few weeks earlier. If she’d known Marlene’s dinner party event would throw her right in the middle of a murder investigation, she might not have taken the booking. On the other hand, the episode had brought her and Jake closer together, and considering that her phone was still ringing with bookings for Deelish, maybe the publicity hadn’t affected her business as badly as she’d first feared. No matter what happened with the murder case, at least she felt optimistic about the future.

  She parked her car, and she and Balto got out. “Shh, Balto,” DeeDee said, putting her finger up to her mouth as she closed the car door with a quiet click. She didn’t want to bother Marlene. From what Cassie had said, Marlene was off work with post-traumatic stress symptoms, and she didn’t need to have DeeDee disturbing her for something like a lasagna pan.

  “Let’s go around to the back,” she said to Balto, who followed beside her as she walked to where the kitchen was located. “I hope Michelle, the cook, is here,” she whispered. Marlene had mentioned that they normally had Michelle prepare their meals, but she’d given her the evening off on the night of the dinner party, so the only time DeeDee had met her was at the initial meeting between Marlene and her. Balto started to pull on his leash. “Hold on. We’re going to go back home in just a minute, Balto. Hopefully, Michelle will be in the kitchen fixing dinner, and I can get my pan and leave.”

  Balto seemed to have something else in mind. Straining on his leash, he led DeeDee over to a stand of trees and a fence that separated Marlene’s property from the home next to hers. Balto started frantically sniffing and pawing at an area beneath the trees as if something was there. DeeDee didn’t see anything, but it was very evident Balto was distressed by something. DeeDee had never seen him act like this before, and she wondered if perhaps there was a dead animal or something like that in the undergrowth. He looked up at her and then down at the ground as if he was trying to tell her something.