"Anyone. The door is never locked. I supposed a mourner could have come in, but that's doubtful. You have to believe me," she insisted. "I never would have hurt Eddie."
"The last time I spoke to you when Josie was with me, you asked us to leave your work area," I remarked. "You became upset when she asked if you were carrying on with him."
The room grew silent, and I found myself wondering if Brian was watching us.
It seemed like an eternity before Charlene spoke again. "We weren't carrying on. I would have liked to, but he rejected my advances. I tried to get him to kiss me once in his office. Linda walked in while I had my arms around him."
That explained why Linda thought they'd been having an affair. "What happened then?"
"She said I was a tramp." Charlene's nostrils flared. "Linda and Eddie started arguing, and she called us both filthy names. I was terrified and ran out of there. The next day, when I showed up for work, Eddie said it would be best if we kept our distance. He started acting very strange, but not only to me. He was that way around everyone." Charlene threw her shoulders back in defiance. "I know he was twenty years older than me, but I didn't care. Age is just a number."
"No one's judging you about that. But he was a married man," I said.
"Yes but not happily," Charlene sniffed.
Gianna had her lawyer face on, devoid of emotion. "If I'm going to help you, Charlene, you need to be honest with me."
Charlene's cuffs clanked against the table as she clasped her hands together. "I'm telling you the truth. Someone else killed him, and my money is on Arthur. He planted the cyanide in my room and is getting what he's always wanted now that Linda is selling him the funeral home."
"Do all of the employees know how to embalm?" I asked.
She thought for a moment. "Arthur does, of course, and Wally. But not Linda. Zach used to do it for his former employer, I believe."
"How long ago was it that Linda caught you and Eddie together?" Gianna asked.
"A few days before he died." Charlene bit into her lower lip. "I was positive Linda would tell Eddie to fire me, but nothing ever came of it. She chose to ignore me instead. Then again, she was always good at that. I know she was jealous of me."
Gianna changed the subject. "Did you know about the funeral home having financial problems?"
"Someone mentioned it to me," Charlene said. "But I'm not really sure how that's possible. The place is popular, so that never really made sense."
"People have complained about jewelry being stolen off the deceased," Gianna explained. "Their loved ones."
Charlene's jaw went slack. "How horrible. I'd never dream of doing something like that."
"But you had access to the jewelry?" I persisted.
She shook her head. "Personal possessions are always the first thing to be removed—before embalming, before anything. I've done embalming, but only in situations where no one else was available. The body doesn't come to my station until afterward. I can't believe Eddie would do something like that. He was an honest man."
Someone was lying, but who? I was certain that the families who'd brought the claims against the funeral home were telling the truth. Gianna had said there was more than one pending.
"May I ask a question?" Charlene asked timidly.
Gianna nodded. "Of course."
"When can I get out on bail? I'm not going to have to spend the night here, am I?"
Gianna's face was sympathetic. "I'm afraid so. This isn't a misdemeanor. You've been charged with murder. You'll have to go before a judge."
Charlene looked panicked. "I can't stay here!" she wailed.
"I'll do my best to get you out as soon as possible," Gianna promised. "Now is there anything else you care to tell me?"
Charlene paused to consider. "The day before Eddie disappeared, I went to his office to ask him about ordering some supplies since we were getting low. He was sitting behind his desk staring into space. This was weird because he was always doing something. The man was never idle. He didn't look well, and at first, I thought he was sick. So, I asked him what was wrong, but he said nothing."
"And then?" Gianna prompted.
She swallowed nervously. "Eddie always downplayed everything. He never wanted anyone to worry about him. He was the consummate professional, always concerned for everyone else. His clients, staff, and family. Sure, he was tight with the buck, but we all knew that was just his way. That day was different. Eddie didn't act like himself. He looked like he'd just lost his best friend. Even the piece of paper he was holding in his hand was shaking."
"Did you happen to see what it was?" I asked curiously.
Charlene shook her head. "It looked like a legal document, but I couldn't say for sure. When I came closer, he shoved it into his desk. Then he told me to leave and acted kind of nasty about it too. It upset me so I quickly left the room. A few minutes later, I remembered that I'd totally forgotten to ask him about the supplies. Eddie was on his cell and had his back to me. He sounded like he was crying."
Gianna and I exchanged a puzzled glance. "Did you catch any of the conversation?" she asked.
Charlene wrinkled her brow and stared into space. "It was something like 'I saw it.' No wait—'I found it.' Then he asked the person on the other end, 'How could you do this to me?'"
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Josie stared down at the tray of sugar cookies she was decorating. They were a perfect replica of Easter eggs in pastel colors of pink and green. "What I don't understand is why Charlene didn't tell the police about Eddie's phone call. It could be the key to his death."
"She said she didn't make the connection before." I removed another tray of sugar cookies from the oven and placed them in the baker's rack to cool. We'd been working our bunny tails off all day long, so to speak. The holiday was only two days away, and many customers had waited till the last minute to place their orders.
"Next year, we're cutting orders off at least five days ahead of time," Josie announced as she carried the tray of cookies to the waiting display case. "Getting back to Eddie. That comment of Charlene's seems kind of strange. Did you and Gianna tell Brian about it?"
"Of course, we told Brian. I mean, it was the least I could do. He could have been a jerk and not let me into the room to talk to her."
Josie rearranged the trays to make more space. "But Charlene did ask for you."
"Yes, but I happen to understand where he's coming from. And I'm not about to start hiding information from him that could help the police do their job, especially when my family's safety is a concern."
Josie returned and began to frost a tray of bunny ears with buttercream icing then arranged pink glittery sprinkles on the inside part to accent them.
I watched in admiration. "They look perfect."
She grinned. "Thanks. Mrs. Alden ordered two dozen of the ears. She wants to hide them for her children to hunt instead of eggs. Those kids will be bouncing off the walls from all that sugar. Hey, to each her own, I guess."
I tapped my fingers against the metal tray, trying to figure out my next move. "What do you say we do a little poking around in Eddie's office and see if we can find that document he was holding when Charlene last saw him?"
Josie's face lit up like the sun. "Sure, but you don't even know what it was. He probably has lots of legal documents in his desk. It might be like looking for a needle in a haystack, Sal."
"You're right." I snitched a cookie that Josie had finished decorating and bit into it. The frosting was sugary sweet, addictive, and satisfying. "But it's worth a try. I'm not sure where else to go with this."
Josie switched decorating tips and went to work on designing squiggly lines for the Easter egg cookies. They were perfect, like everything else she did. I felt guilty standing there and munching on cookies while she did all the work, but that didn't stop me from eating another one.
"Do you want to ask Linda about the document? Maybe she'd know what it was."
I grabbed a paper towel an
d dabbed at my mouth. "Dad said she's out of town today. Something about visiting friends in New York City."
"Okay, so you can't talk to Linda, and Charlene is still in jail. What about Zach, Wally, or Arthur?" Josie suggested.
"I've already talked to everyone. If one of them is Eddie's killer, they're not going to be sharing any more information with me. From what Charlene said, someone did a terrible thing to Eddie, and he was awful upset by it. Maybe he decided to confront the person, and then they killed him."
"With cyanide," Josie reminded me. "He ate or drank something that had the powder in it. Which also means he knew his killer…well."
The monitor on the worktable came to life, and a shrill cry broke through the room. I wiped my hands on my apron. "Sounds like someone's up from her nap. I'll be back in a few."
Josie waved me off. "Take your time. Cookie's more important, and I can handle things here for a while. Now, if we can close at five, we'd have enough time to run over to the funeral home and do some more snooping. Rob's off tonight and we're going out, but not until seven o'clock."
"Aw, how cute," I said teasingly. "It's so nice to see old married couples still in love, having a date night."
"It's really more of a let's grab a quick burger and get stuff for the kids' Easter baskets while we have a free minute," she quipped.
I took the wooden stairs two at a time to the small apartment above the bakery. It was under a thousand square feet in size but cozy and comfortable, with a combination kitchen and dining area, one bedroom, and a small living room. Cookie was on her back in the travel Pack 'n Play, her plump legs kicking at the air furiously. Her sweet little face was scrunched up and red from exertion. I reached down and gently gathered her into my arms, giving her a light kiss on the forehead. "How's my sweetheart? Hungry?"
She kept fussing as I laid her on the nearby dresser and quickly removed her soiled diaper. I felt so fortunate to be able to bring my daughter to work with me and that I had this area at my disposal. Not everyone had the same luxury. Today probably wasn't an ideal day to bring her in since we were so busy, but she'd been at my parents' most of the week, and I wanted her with me.
As I sat in the recliner to nurse Cookie, I basked in the solace, which was occasionally interrupted by the sound of bells announcing a customer below and familiar voices calling greetings to Josie. If things got crazy, she would yell for me, but I was enjoying this special time with my daughter. Josie was right. Cookie was more important than any sale, and I had to treasure these moments while they lasted.
The apartment had been many things over the last few years. Gianna had lived here for a time after a fire had destroyed my previous bakery location. When she'd moved out, a friend of Mrs. Gavelli's had run a business for a brief time before she met her unfortunate demise. Then my father had stepped in, hosting a book signing for his death novel and followed that up with teaching a class on blogging. We could use the money a potential rental would bring in, but I was glad that we'd chosen to let it remain vacant for now.
As I stroked Cookie's soft cheek, a wave of anxiety passed over me. What else might Eddie's killer have in store for me or my family? Should I even go back to the funeral parlor? It might not be safe, but Josie would be with me, and we always had each other's back. Besides, it wouldn't take long to search Eddie's office—if I could get inside. Zach was usually there, so I might have to make up some flimsy excuse. It would be easier if there was a wake in progress, but I doubted Linda would have left town then.
I burped Cookie then brought her downstairs in her bouncy chair. Josie was waiting on a customer with one hand and had the phone in her other. Cookie and I headed into the back room, and Josie joined us there shortly. She began decorating another tray of cookies.
"I'll be here by five tomorrow morning," she announced. "We just got two more orders for Easter egg cookies and another for a basket of assorted cookies while you were upstairs. Dodie promised that she'll be here all day to help, and Mickey's booked solid for deliveries in the morning. He can give us a hand in the afternoon if needed."
"Sounds good to me. Thanks so much for keeping everything running so smoothly. I don't know what I'd do without you." I gave my daughter a rattle shaped like a yellow bird to hold, and she rewarded me with a toothless grin. It was her favorite toy to play with. I sat cross-legged on the floor, lightly rocking the chair back and forth. The brightly colored toys attached to the handle moved back and forth in time with it.
"No worries, hon. I've been in your shoes, and I know what it's like." Josie smiled down at Cookie, rattle in hand. "Hey, that reminds me." She reached under the cabinet by the sink for her purse. She removed a small gold box and handed it to me.
"What's this?" I asked, mystified.
Josie tossed flour and eggs into the electric mixer. "I picked it up for Cookie last night. I know she's already got a ton of these, but I couldn't resist. Consider it an early Easter present from Aunt Josie."
I lifted the lid on the box. It was another rattle to add to Cookie's collection, but I'd never seen one like this before. The plastic handle was blue and attached to an Easter Bunny head of cloth-like material. "Aw, it's adorable. Thanks for thinking of her."
"Press the button in the center of his forehead," Josie commanded.
I held the rattle in my hand and did as she instructed. A bright, intense light shone directly in my eyes, forcing me to blink several times. "Whoa! Holy cow, that thing is blinding!"
Josie's forehead furrowed as she bent down next to me. "Jeez, I didn't think it was that powerful. Sorry, Sal. I can return it for something else."
I pressed the button again, facing the light away from Cookie. She giggled and held her hand out. She began to fuss again, so I let her hold it. "Well, Cookie seems to like it. I'll see if I can find some way to disconnect the light later."
"She's not crying much today." Josie said thoughtfully as she stared down at my daughter. "See, I told you it was only a phase."
Cookie dropped the rattle, and I shoved it into my jeans pocket. She stuffed her fingers in her mouth, so I quickly whipped up a small bowl of cereal then spooned some into her eager, waiting mouth. "Grandma said that she should be having solids."
"She's a big baby," Josie observed. "At least twenty pounds. It's not unusual to start babies on cereal at her age."
"Well, it seems to be working," I admitted. "The last couple of nights, she's been sleeping better. But she wants to nurse less." This made me sad, and I hoped the end wasn't in sight, because I enjoyed the bonding time with her.
"You've given her a great start," Josie said. "It may only be a temporary thing, so don't worry. Look on the bright side. Once she starts taking a bottle full time, you can return to being fully caffeinated again."
I'd momentarily forgotten about that part. "I think giving up caffeine has been more difficult than childbirth itself."
Josie laughed as another customer entered the store. "I'll get that," she said and disappeared while I wiped Cookie's face with a burp cloth. I gave her the yellow bird rattle to play with as I washed my hands and went to work on batter for thumbprint jelly cookies.
Josie returned, wearing a puzzled expression. "There's a man here to see you. He said his name is Arthur. Isn't that Eddie's brother?"
I almost dropped the mixing bowl. "What the heck does he want?"
She shrugged. "He said he'd take two dozen coffin cookies to go and then asked if you were around. He seems nice—go figure."
"Maybe he's been cloned." I put Cookie's chair on vibrate and stepped out of the room.
Josie stood in the doorway with one eye on Cookie and the other on me.
Arthur was dressed to the nines in an expensive black suit and loafers that had been polished until they shone. He was staring intently into the display case but looked up when I came in and then gave a gallant bow. "Well, look who's here. Nancy Drew in the flesh."
"Did you come to insult me?" I tried to keep my voice at an even keel, but it took some
effort.
He laughed good-naturedly. "Aw, that was just a joke. Look, I'm sorry about the other night. Let's start over, shall we?"
His new and improved attitude wasn't fooling me. The man was up to something. "What can I do for you, Mr. Phibbins?"
"Call me Arthur," he said smoothly. "Look, since I'll be taking over the funeral home from Linda, I'd like to talk to you and your partner about catering some more upcoming receptions. On the average, I expect to have them two or three times a week. I believe you were giving Linda a discounted rate, and I'd appreciate it if you'd extend the same courtesy to me. This way we can all make a profit, right?"
I stared at him in disbelief. What was with this guy? First, he wanted to hire my father's blog service, and now he was looking to me for cookies? He'd practically threatened Linda into selling the place, and now that she'd finally agreed, everything was all sugar and no spice? "To tell the truth, Arthur, I'm a little surprised. You were a jerk to Linda and me the other night, and now you want me to help you make a profit?"
His face sobered. "I apologize for that. But you have to understand. That was before I knew that Linda would sell, so I was upset. Today is a new day. A day of celebration."
What did he mean by that? "I'm sorry. You're always welcome to order cookies at the regular price from us, but we won't be making any more trips to the funeral parlor."
"But you did it for Linda," he protested.
"That was different. Besides, I only did it because my father asked me to." I placed my hands on my hips. "I have to admit I'm curious what you said to make her sell the place. Why didn't she respect her husband's wishes?"
Arthur's eyes turned cold and dark like a cesspool. "Because she knew she didn't have a choice. The place is in the red, and I'll be the one to get it out. Although…" He hesitated.
"Go on," I urged.
"Eddie was always a good businessman, but somehow he managed to run the place into the ground." Arthur chuckled under his breath. "Sorry. A little funeral home humor."
I didn't feel like laughing. "What are you implying?"
Icing on the Casket Page 15
