Missy acted as nonchalantly as possible. She flipped to the next page in her notepad, where she had done a quick mock-up of what the pages could look like. It had been hastily thrown together, but Missy was counting on Meghan not being a scrapbooker, not really caring, or hopefully both, to notice how little thought Missy had put into the design.
Missy turned the notepad around so Meghan could see. “Here’s the layout. It’s a good use of space, I think, and now I just need to finalize the content.”
Meghan gave the design a once-over. “Yeah. Looks nice.”
Missy smiled like she was appreciative of the obvious half-hearted compliment. “Thanks. I’ve got most of the pictures already picked out, but I’m trying to decide on a couple more.”
“Okay.” Meghan was struggling to hide her disinterest already.
Missy took out her phone. “I really liked those pictures that Olivia posted on Facebook.”
Meghan perked up a fraction. “Oh yeah?”
Missy tried to gauge her reaction as discreetly as possible. The change in the other woman’s body language had been slight but definitely noticeable. But did that mean anything?
Missy got off her stool and came around the high table to stand next to Meghan. She put the phone sideways on the table so they could have a wider view of the pictures.
“These are all nice, but I was wondering which one you think is best,” Missy said.
She had queued the first photo up on her phone and swiped once right, never taking her eyes off Meghan.
The other woman leaned in to get a better look at the pictures. The first one that Missy showed was of just her and Ren.
Meghan gave her a quizzical look. “If you’re interested in Olivia, I wouldn’t use this one.”
“Oh right.” Missy smiled shyly, like she’d made a mistake. She swiped right. “How about this one?”
Meghan looked it over. This time, the whole group was in the frame with the exception of Sharon and Kevin who’d been busy…they hadn’t arrived until later, not till after Ren was already dead.
“Oh God, I look awful.” Meghan finished her vodka sour and peered over Missy’s shoulder. If she was fazed by the pictures at all, she wasn’t showing it.
Missy pushed the phone into Meghan’s hand. “Check the res—”
“Hey, Miss.”
Over the noise of the bar, Missy hadn’t heard anybody approaching.
“Noreen?”
Her friend stood there with a deer-stuck-in-headlights expression on her face. “Hey…”
Before she could think about her own reaction, Missy frowned. Noreen hadn’t invited her out. Not that she had to, but Missy couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten a real invite. One that hadn’t come after the outing was already planned.
“Hey.” Missy smiled, and they gave each other a quick hug.
Noreen smiled apologetically. “I didn’t know you were, uh, doing anything tonight.”
“I didn’t know you were either,” Missy blurted out, a hard edge creeping into her voice.
Noreen looked past her. “Hi, I’m Noreen.”
Missy was in no mood for introductions or social graces. This was yet another sign that she and Noreen were drifting apart. No, it was worse than that. It seemed like Noreen was purposely steering away from her. But she forced herself to go through the motions.
“Noreen, this is Meghan, one of Olivia’s good friends from school.”
Noreen turned sad eyes toward Meghan. “Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Are you one of the scrapbookers?” Meghan asked, clearly not interested in actually saying hello.
“Guilty as charged.”
Meghan made a face. “I don’t remember seeing you at the viewing. Or the funeral.”
Noreen’s eyes went wide and she looked at Missy. “Yes, well, I wasn’t…”
“They weren’t close,” Missy said. She’d opened her mouth to defend Noreen, but the words had an ironic tone to them she hadn’t planned.
Meghan got off her stool. “I’m getting a drink.”
She pushed past them. For a moment, Noreen was turned away, a pained, horrified look on her face. Finally, she looked back at Missy.
“Wow.”
Missy said nothing.
“So.” Noreen pointed over her shoulder. “I’m here with Carter and Tonya and Grant.”
“I figured.”
Missy followed the line of Noreen’s thumb and spotted the others in the bar. Carter was watching them and ever the nice guy, he waved and smiled at her. Tonya was watching too, but the most acknowledgement she offered Missy was a slight tip of the head. The man standing next to her must have been Grant.
Missy’s emotions churned. She was angry, jealous, and hurt.
“Do you want to join us?” Noreen made it sound like it was the worst idea ever.
“I don’t want to rain on the parade,” Missy said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, that’s alright.”
“Alright.”
“Yeah.”
They said nothing for a moment. Then, Noreen nodded. “If you change your mind…”
“Alright.”
Noreen got two steps away before she stopped and came back.
“Missy,” Noreen said, “I stopped asking you to come out because you always say no.”
Missy looked around the room. “I guess I’m not into the bar scene anymore.”
“Really?” Noreen raised her eyebrows.
“Yeah.”
“Uh, Miss, you’re in a bar right now.”
Missy knew she should keep her voice down but couldn’t help it. “I’m not here for fun, Noreen.”
Noreen tipped her head back. “Oh, I get it. I should have known.”
She was turning away again, but Missy put a hand on her shoulder. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Just forget it.”
“I want to know what that means.”
Noreen folded her arms. “You never want to do anything anymore, Missy.”
“No, I just don’t want to do all the things you do.” She circled her hand. “Like bar-hopping. I’m over it.”
“It’s like you’re just waiting for something to happen,” Noreen said. “The only time you actually get out is when somebody turns up dead.”
Missy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “And it’s a good thing I did that, when Anne Baxter was killed.”
Noreen shook her head and looked away. “You’re going to hold that over my head forever, aren’t you?”
“No, but my point is, it was a good thing I took the initiative, otherwise you’d be in prison for murder right now.”
“And I’ve thanked you a million times for that,” Noreen said. “But that’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
“I guess I’m tired of doing all the same old things, Missy. The bookstore, Hank’s, flea markets, scrapbooking once a month…I feel like my life is passing me right on by and I hate it. We’re not young anymore. If I’m going to do anything, it’s now or never.”
Missy folded her arms. “And somehow you think I’m keeping you from doing that?”
“Whoa! I did not say that.”
Missy wanted to say a million things, and that kept her from saying anything. She didn’t know where to start.
Was this their BFF break-up?
Noreen smiled sadly. “I’m going to head back now.”
“Fine.”
Noreen stood there for a moment, looking apologetic. “Missy…”
When she couldn’t finish her sentence, Missy nodded. “Exactly.”
Noreen turned away.
***
Twenty minutes later, Missy was sitting by herself at the high table as the sun set and the sky turned dark. She did her absolute best to ignore Noreen and Tonya, whom she could clearly see on the other side of the restaurant if she turned her head a few inches.
Meghan was still up at the bar. She’d run into
somebody she knew and was chatting the guy up. Missy barely paid her any mind. She was still fuming over her conversation with Noreen.
Finally, Meghan glanced in her direction and looked almost sorry Missy was still there. Obviously, she’d been hoping Missy had left or at least joined her friend Noreen for a drink.
Meghan peeled away from her guy-friend and came back to the table with another mixed drink. Missy normally wouldn’t drink a warm beer, but right now she needed to take the edge off. So she picked up her pint glass and finished the rest of it in one big gulp, spilling a little on her chin.
Meghan sat back down. “So.”
Missy didn’t answer her right away. “Why didn’t you like Ren?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s not a secret. Everybody has told me that.”
Meghan shook her head. “We had a few arguments, but it was just girl-stuff. No big.”
“And what about with Olivia?”
“You should understand where I’m coming from.”
Missy was taken aback. “What?”
Meghan bobbed her head. “Your friend, Maureen, over there.”
“Noreen.”
“Whatever.” Meghan shrugged. “You’re her second choice.”
Missy said nothing.
Meghan sipped her drink. “She’s here with that other couple. She picked them over you. So you know how I feel.”
“What are you talking about?”
Meghan put her drink down. “I was always Olivia’s second choice. It was either Sharon, or it was Ren…it was either one of those two, then me. So not even second choice. Maybe third choice.”
Missy stiffened, forgetting all about Noreen on the other side of the bar for a moment. The anger buried deep in Meghan was coming out.
“All the guys thought she was the prettiest. Without exception. She was it. We were just the other girls. She was always nice and never put on airs, but deep down you could tell she knew.”
“So what?”
Meghan stood up. “So nothing. That’s how it was. We were friends, but after awhile it got old.”
Missy could tell Meghan was about to leave. “Wait, but what about Ren? What about her?”
Missy knew she was grasping at straws now. Great detective she made.
Meghan grimaced. “Why don’t you ask Sharon?”
“What does that mean?”
“She and Ren never got along.”
“Why?”
“It wasn’t one thing. It was everything. Boys, grades, sports, you name it. And it was like they both wanted to be Olivia’s best friend.”
Meghan turned to leave.
Missy opened her mouth but didn’t know what to ask next. Meghan was suggesting Sharon and Ren hadn’t had a good relationship, but what did that mean? Sharon hadn’t gotten to Corey Lake till after Ren had died—
Meghan stopped and turned back. “If you’re telling me the truth about doing some pages for Olivia, then look at the photo I left up on your phone. It’s the best one.”
Missy had forgotten she’d left Meghan with her phone to talk to Noreen. She grabbed it off the table and swiped the screen.
It was a group shot that stood out in Missy’s mind for some reason.
Meghan said, “You just have to crop out the one corner and you’ll be fine.”
Missy knew what she meant. In the deep background, there was an old car with its tail lights on. It was just a blip on the picture but still was distracting.
Missy looked up at her. “One of your cars?”
“It looks like Kevin’s.” Meghan chuckled. “But no.”
Missy got a chill. “Because he wasn’t there till later.”
“Right. It was the only time he and Sharon hooked up.”
Meghan might have said she was going to the bar to catch up with some friends, but Missy didn’t hear her.
Instead, she just stared at the picture and wondered.
Chapter Fifteen
M issy woke early and stopped home before work to pick up her mail and some more clothes. Then she headed back to Books and Crannies.
It was Missy’s turn to open again. Brett had the late shift, Noreen was due in for the transition shift, so Missy had a few hours in the morning alone.
All last night she’d tossed and turned as she thought about the last picture, the one with the car in the deep background. Back in her day, groups of teens would converge on Corey Lake either in concert or on their own. So it wasn’t a stretch that another group of kids would have been there that night.
So what was bothering her about it?
She went into the back of the store. The inventory had dwindled even more. On her day off she hadn’t given a thought to the future of Books and Crannies, but now the worry came flooding back. No longer could she ignore the obvious writing on the wall.
She dropped her stuff in the back and went through to the store to tidy up, like she always did. The children’s section was the messiest, no big surprise there. In twenty minutes she had the store looking presentable.
A little after ten o’clock, her first customer came in.
Vincent Carmine.
“Good morning.”
Today he was wearing the uniform. It was tight across his chest and loose in the waist. He looked good.
“Vinnie, I’m sorry about the other night,” Missy said immediately. “It wasn’t right of me to doubt you.”
He stopped in front of the desk and put on a cocky smile. “Sure it was.”
Missy did a double-take. “I’m sorry?”
“Where I come from, respect has to be earned. I haven’t shown you what I can do yet, and I’m real young to be a detective.”
“And where I come from,” Missy said, “respect is given.”
He winked at her. “You are one classy lady.”
“Lady.” It made her sound so old.
He shook his head. “Hold on, now. Lady is good. Lady is sexy.”
Missy felt like her face was on fire. “You’re…”
How long had it been since she’d paid a compliment to a man? Not since her last steady boyfriend. Missy did the quick mental math to take her mind momentarily off the total stud that was eyeballing her.
Almost three years!
“You look really nice in that uniform.”
He winked. “I know.”
She couldn’t help it, she broke into a hysterical fit of laughter. The man was full of swagger.
Vinnie smiled. “But I am young. Tyler’s always warning me about my temper. You doubting me shouldn’t have gotten under my skin, but I let it.” His smile turned from friendly to…something that made her blush. “I let you get under my skin. Wonder why.”
Missy was staring into his eyes, and if he leaned in to kiss her she didn’t know what she’d do. He was handsome and a lot of fun, and she could only imagine what he was like in bed. But still she hesitated.
He sensed her seizing up and sat on the edge of the counter. “So how goes your investigation?”
“I don’t know…” Her mind went back to the picture, and she knew it was the key to everything. “I think I—”
Vinnie’s phone buzzed. “Excuse me, Miss.” He stepped away to take the call. “Hey, it’s me…”
She was certain: this murder was linked to the picture. But how?
“…you’re kidding me…”
She came out of her mental sleuthing to listen to Vinnie’s conversation.
“…so he was, okay. I’ll be right there.” Vinnie hung up and came back to the desk. “Sorry, Miss, but I gotta go right now.”
She stood. “Wait—what is it? Did you—”
“This has to stay between us.” He peered deep into her eyes.
“Of course.”
He studied her for a moment as if trying to spot the lie. “One of those kids that was seen hanging around the school?”
“Yes.” Her breath was caught in her throat.
“One of his buddies just dimed him out. He went inside
to screw around. When I questioned him earlier, he lied and said he didn’t go anywhere near the place. His story has changed three times and now somebody puts him inside the building.”
Missy frowned. If that kid was the killer, then the photo meant nothing.
Vinnie gave her a look. “What? This is supposed to be a good thing. It’s a strong lead.”
Missy thought he was on the wrong track but had no proof. She didn’t have anything except her intuition.
She nodded. “I was just thinking it would be awful if it was a kid.”
“No matter who it is, it’s awful.” He put a hand on her arm, and she stiffened at his touch. “I’ll talk to you later?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Vinnie left in a hurry.
As the morning wore on, Missy fluctuated between bored and anxious. She kept waiting for her phone to buzz, expecting a call from Vinnie either confirming he’d caught the killer or that they needed to go in a different direction. More than once Missy picked up the phone to call him directly. She knew the picture was important.
She tried reading the thriller she’d started last week, but she just couldn’t get into it. Her mind kept wandering back to the pictures.
Giving up on the book, she figured she might as well look at them again because her mind wouldn’t leave them alone. Instead of going to Facebook to look at them, though, she jumped right into her own gallery on her phone. She’d taken pictures of the pictures at the crime scene and since she’d tried everything else, she figured she’d see if looking at them in a different way would help.
Missy scrolled through them. Of course, the quality wasn’t as good because they were pictures of pictures. She looked for the one that had been bothering her in particular, the group shot with the red taillights in the deep background.
But it wasn’t there.
Missy got a chill, but then shook it off. Olivia hadn’t taken every picture, she’d only taken the best ones for scrapbooking.
Then Missy thought back to the other night when she’d gone through the pictures with Mrs. Oakley. At first, she thought it was her mind playing tricks on her but the longer she thought about it, she knew she was right.
Missy took out her phone.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mrs. Oakley. This is Missy DeMeanor.”
Missy DeMeanor Cozy Mysteries Boxset Page 51
