“I didn’t find the dead body,” I said. “DC and Ford did. Ford’s dad had fallen in the pool right before DC and Ford went to check out the patio.”
“Was the place nice?” Mom asked. “Are we going to use it for the wedding?”
“I don’t know,” I said.
“They should give you a discount,” Wenling added.
Mom shot her her friend a questioning look
“You’re going to be serving food right near where the dead body was found. That’s got to be cause for a discount.”
“That’s if we can even still rent the place,” I said.
“The son will probably want to sell the house now that his father is gone,” Mom said. “But that might take some time.”
“Maybe his son killed him,” Wenling said. “So he could get the house and sell it.”
“DC says it’s an accident,” I countered.
“Ford mentioned he wanted to talk to your mom about some kind of mystery, and they always say drownings are an accident though,” Briana added.
“It’s true. I saw a documentary on Crime TV that said that,” Wenling said. “Police are predisposed to thinking drownings are accidents.”
“No mysteries and no murder,” Mom said. “I have relatives flying in for Christy’s wedding. Her brother and sister are already married, and I didn’t have money from being a national commercial then. This is the big one. I will not have my last shot at a big wedding ruined by dead body talk.”
“DC says we can still have the wedding at the Caribou Lodge,” I said.
“No cow club!” Mom said. “Your Auntie Choonie is flying in from Australia, and she still brags about the wedding your cousin Lyle had at that country club.”
“I saw the pictures on Facebook.” It had been an impressive wedding.
I pictured the area around the pool in my mind. My memory is unusual. Whenever something traumatic happens, like finding a dead body, my mind catalogs everything as if it were a movie.
“Was that the wedding with the chocolate fountain? Because that looked really cool,” Wenling asked.
“We’re going to have a bigger fountain. Actually, two fountains” Mom said. “One for chocolate and the other for champagne.”
Until now, there had been no mention of any fountains. I could feel the price of the wedding getting higher yet again.
“Show me the picture of the body now. I was waiting for hours during the book talk,” Wenling said, turning to Briana.
Briana pulled out her phone. I couldn’t help but want to look at the picture. It had never occurred to me to take pictures of the crime scene before. I’d always relied on my memory, and I’d also always been busy dialing 911 and trying to save the dead person. Before they became dead, obviously.
“Zoom in,” Wenling said.
Even though Mom didn’t want to talk about the dead body, she couldn’t stop herself from studying the photos.
“I couldn’t get a great angle, because I didn’t want to be rude,” Briana said.
“That’s understandable,” Mom said.
“I would’ve gotten a good angle,” Wenling said.
I didn’t doubt it. Wenling could be pretty aggressive when she needed to be. She rarely worried about being rude, as evidenced by her swag victory. There was something about her small stature and innocent-looking face that allowed Wenling to get away with a lot of crazy stuff.
The picture was very much like I remembered it.
“There’s a big bloodstain here,” Wenling said, pointing to a spot near the pool.
“DC says that’s likely where he hit his head,” I said.
“He probably slipped at the edge of the pool where it’s wet,” Mom said.
“DC said he slipped, hit his head, and then fell into the pool and drowned,” I said.
“Yeah,” Mom agreed. “It looks like that’s what happened. Such a shame. But not a murder.”
“What do you mean, not a murder?” Wenling said. “You don’t want it to be a murder because you want to plan a big party.”
“It’s not a party,” Mom said. “It’s my daughter’s wedding. And you know that’s a big deal.”
“This is a man’s father,” Wenling said. “That’s a big deal.”
“You know you don’t care about his father,” Mom said. “You just want to be nosy and get your name in the paper.”
“We all can’t be famous for selling diapers.” Wenling folded her arms against her chest.
“You’re the one who stopped acting,” Mom said.
Mom and Wenling had become best friends on that show that Mom was on. Wenling had also been an extra there, but she quit early to open up the Lucky Dragon as soon as she saved enough money.
“Look at the angle of the pool.” Wenling pointed at the photo. “It goes up at the edge. If he fell and hit his head, wouldn’t he slide down the other way?”
“Not if his body fell toward the pool, and his head knocked against the side while he was going down,” Mom said.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Wenling said.
Mom grabbed the straw from my cup. “This is the pool.” She took the saucer from underneath her coffee cup and put it in the middle of the table. “See how it goes up?”
“Yes, so if he hit his head, he’ll roll down this way,” Wenling said, motioning towards the table.
“But let’s say he’s walking like this,” Mom moved the straw along the edge of the saucer, “and then he slips like this.” She bent the straw to the side and showed how the bottom half of the straw fell over the side of the saucer and into the pool. “And then he hits his head right on the edge like this, knocking him unconscious,” Mom bent the straw and smacked it against the side of the saucer, “and then he fell into the pool and drowned.”
“I can see how it happened that way. But what if somebody pushed him?” Wenling asked.
“If someone pushed him into the pool, he probably would fall all the way into the pool. Why would there be a big blood stain?” Mom said. “This way explains why the stain is really close to the edge. It could have even happened after he was already in the pool. Maybe he tried to pull himself out of the pool, his hand slipped, and then he hit his head.”
“We did hear a splash in the pool,” Briana suggested.
“That was DC jumping in to save the body,” I said. “Ford’s Dad had to have drowned before we got there. Otherwise, we would’ve heard something. We were right outside before the body was found. And you saw DC drag him out of the pool.”
“That’s right,” Briana said.
“Maybe before you got there he was getting out of the pool and somebody knocked him in the head,” Wenling said.
“But there’s nothing lying around with a stain that they could have knocked him in the head with,” Mom said.
I couldn’t tell whether Mom was making a convincing case that this was an accident because she wanted to focus on the wedding or whether she really believed that it was an accident. But the way she outlined it, it really looked like it was an accident. For once, I’d stumbled across a dead body and it wasn’t murder. A bit of my luck had changed.
Wenling grabbed Briana’s phone and looked at the photos more closely. I could tell she was looking for a way to prove it was murder. We all watched Wenling studying the photos, silent as we sipped our drinks.
Briana’s phone rang. It scared us all.
“Oh my god,” Wenling yelped and then laughed. “That was so creepy.”
Mom laughed.
Briana looked at the caller ID. “It’s Ford.”
We all quieted down.
“Ask him if we can still have the venue,” Mom said.
Briana nodded yes to Mom as she answered the phone. “Ford, how are you?” Briana said, then listened.
“They’re both with me right now,” Briana continued.
“Is he talking about us?” Wenling asked.
Mom shushed her.
“I can put you on speakerphone if you like.”
Briana turned toward us. “He wants to talk to you guys.”
“Is it about the venue?” Mom asked. “We’re still interested in it. We don’t care about the body.”
“They’re wondering if this is about the venue. They’re still interested in using it for the wedding,” Briana said. She listened. “I see. Let me put you on speakerphone.” She hit the button and laid the phone in the center of the table.
“Okay, we’re all here,” Briana said. “It’s Christy, her mom, and their friend Wenling.”
“Hi everyone,” Ford said. “I know this is going to sound a little strange, but I’ve read about you guys in the Fletcher Weekly and stuff. I’ve even seen you on the news.”
“You mean how we solve mysteries,” Wenling said.
“Yeah, it’s just that I don’t think my father’s death was an accident. I mean, I know he wasn’t always as stable on his feet as he used to be, but he always did a good job of staying away from the pool when it was slippery,” Ford said. “And there’s been some weird stuff going on at the dealership lately that I think might have something to do with his death.”
“What did the police say?” Mom asked.
“They said it was probably an accident,” Ford answered. “And maybe it’s just grief talking, but I like to think of myself as a rational guy. I really think something’s not right here. Even if it was an accident, you could at least look into the stuff that’s going on at the dealership.”
“I’d really like to help,” Mom said. “But my daughter is getting married in a month, and we still haven’t figured out where to put 350 guests.”
“Well, I’d be glad to give you a great, even better deal than the one before if you help me. And I can even help with the wedding. I’m great with logistics, and I know the house inside and out.”
“I can help with the wedding and looking into the stuff going on at the dealership too,” Briana added. “When I was in high school, I used to work as a receptionist there on the weekends.”
“That’s right, they probably wouldn’t even think anything was up if Briana came by,” Ford said.
I could tell Mom was reluctant, but a part of me felt in my gut that this wasn’t an accident.
“Mom, we don’t want to have the wedding at the lodge,” I whispered.
“We’ll look into it, but we have to keep our investigation quiet. The police don’t like it, and, as you know, Christy’s fiancé is with the department. I don’t want any problems for them,” Mom explained.
Wenling gave me a look of disbelief, but she remained quiet. Mom hadn’t ever worried about making trouble before.
“Oh, and we’ll need the house for the entire week for the wedding,” Mom added.
“No problem. I really appreciate this, guys,” Ford said.
“We’re going to need some background,” Wenling butted in. “Can you come down to our headquarters?”
“Where is that exactly?” Ford asked.
“Downtown Fletcher Canyon,” Wenling replied. “Here at my restaurant, the Lucky Dragon.”
“Wow. Just like in the article,” Ford said. “When should I come by?”
“Now,” Wenling said.
“I’ve got some arrangements to make, and I’m supposed to see the lawyer in the morning,” Ford said. “Can I come tomorrow afternoon?”
“Actually, we’ll come to the house,” Mom suggested. “I want to see the place.”
“Of course. To see the scene of the crime,” Ford said. “I’ll make sure nothing is moved.”
I knew Mom really wanted to see the scene of the wedding.
“We’ll come after the lunch rush is over,” Wenling said. “Two o’clock.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Ford said.
Briana and Ford said their goodbyes, and then she hung up the phone.
“I guess we’re on the case,” Briana said.
“Yep,” Wenling agreed.
“Hey everybody! I was hoping you all were still here,” DC said as he came to our side of the restaurant. He’d startled all of us. We must not have heard the bell on the door ding while we were on the phone. I hoped he hadn’t heard anything.
“Hi DC!” Mom said.
“Listen, I’ve got bad news about that house. Ford wouldn’t take the deposit.” DC handed the folded check back to Mom. “He said he wanted to work something out with you first. But frankly, when I saw the size of the check, I was glad.”
“We just talked to him,” Mom said. “He called, and I told him we’ll work out a deal.”
“What kind of deal?” DC asked.
My stomach churned. I should tell DC everything, but I didn’t want to get into a fight for no reason. What if Mom could convince Ford tomorrow?
“I’m going to have my relatives stay there for the week. They’re pitching in,” Mom said.
“Oh, so it’s like hotel rooms for the week for a group, then?” he asked.
“It might end up being practically free,” Wenling added.
Technically, these weren’t lies, but Jiminy Cricket was hopping in my stomach big time.
“We’ll know more tomorrow,” I said, rationalizing that I could tell DC everything tomorrow after we settled the venue.
“Well, I’m pretty sure the Caribou Lodge will still be available. Might as well try to work out a deal,” he said. “Anyway, I better get back to work, but not without saying goodbye to my wife-to-be.” DC motioned for me to follow him outside.
DC gave me a kiss when we got outside. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just stressed about the wedding and everything,” I said, which was the truth.
“Did you keep Cal’s death from the book club?”
I nodded. “Only Wenling and Mom know.”
“Ford brought it up on the call?”
“Yeah, and Wenling had texted Briana while we were talking to the police.”
DC sighed.
“This was before she knew to keep it a secret. I mean, it’s going to get out,” I said.
“I know. I appreciate you not telling the other women. You know how hard that amateur detective stuff makes it for me at work.”
“I do,” I said.
DC smiled. “I like the sound of that,” he said, and gave me a toe-curling kiss.
Guilt gnawed at my gut as I went inside and joined everyone at the table. They were in a heated discussion.
“But only us,” Mom said. “No telling anyone what we’re doing, understand? We want everything to go smoothly without everyone getting in the way.”
“We always find the killer,” Wenling said.
“The wedding, Wenling,” Mom said. “The wedding is what counts. And no one will think about the bride and groom if they’re all talking about a murder. So we tell no one.”
“We’ll solve it fast, and then focus on the wedding,” Wenling said.
“No gossiping or even hinting at this to anyone,” Mom warned. I was glad to see Mom and DC were on the same side.
“We’ll keep it under wraps,” Briana said.
Wenling agreed.
Mom didn’t look convinced, and I wasn’t either.
“So about the wedding,” Mom said, taking out a piece of paper from her purse. “We still have the dresses to take care of. I need to get another cake, and we need to make sure the caterer can handle all the extra people or get a second one.”
“You can always have a Chinese buffet,” Wenling offered.
“That’s nice,” Mom said, “but Chinese food is everyday food, not wedding food.”
“Not in China,” Wenling mumbled.
“The dresses!” I remembered.
‘What about them?” Briana asked.
“Our fitting is tomorrow at 2pm, and I had to book that months ago,” I said.
“Maybe you can change it?” Wenling said, evading Mom’s gaze.
“We set it at two so you could avoid missing the lunch rush,” Mom said to her best friend.
So much for the investigation not interfering wi
th the wedding plans.
4
For the second day in a row, I rushed to our kitchen. We had a super tight schedule today. We needed everything to go smoothly with the fitting so we could meet Ford, secure the wedding space, and convince Ford it was an accident or solve a murder if Wenling was right.
When I got to the kitchen, Mom was sitting at the table on the phone. She was wearing one of her promo t-shirts.
“Mom,” I whispered.
“I’m on hold with the cake place,” she said. “You don’t have to whisper.”
“Dar is taking too long in our bathroom, and everyone is going to be here soon. Can I use your shower or do you need your bathroom still?”
“I’m all ready. I just have to put on my sweatpants,” Mom said.
I shot her a questioning look. Mom rarely wore sweatpants.
“You don’t want to wear anything too exhausting to get in and out of, but wear the underwear and bra you’re going to wear for the dress so it fits right.”
“That’s right, Oscar told me that last time,” I said.
Mom’s attention returned to her call. “Yes, I’m calling about the cake for the Murphy, I mean Cooper wedding.”
It was weird thinking I’d be part of a new family soon, but there was no time to dwell on that. I needed to shower, shave my legs, and remember where I’d put my special bridal underwear. I’d put it some place where I wouldn’t lose it, but of course, now I couldn’t remember.
When I got out of the shower, I checked my phone for the millionth time. I’d called and texted my cousin Celia about the change of time for today’s fitting. Still nothing.
“Mom,” I said as I went to meet Mom in the living room. “I’ve called Celia four times since yesterday to let her know we changed the time for the fitting today. And I haven’t heard back.”
“This case is ruining everything, and it hasn’t even started,” Mom said. It wasn’t like Mom to be stressed, and I realized wedding planning must’ve been getting to her.
The doorbell rang. I opened the door hoping it was Celia, but it was Briana and Wenling. They were dressed in casual clothes, too. I was glad Mom clued me in on the sweatpants.
“I picked her up,” Briana said. “Jennifer was busy at the restaurant.”
Wedding Cake and Widows: A Comedy Cozy Mystery (Mom and Christy's Cozy Mysteries Book 8) Page 3
