Murder Is the Main Course

by Shawn Reilly Simmons

  She plugged in her hairdryer and curling iron and stepped into the shower stall. Penelope stood under the hot water, allowing her hair to soak all the way to the ends. It hung down in long strands as she stared at her feet and the water swirling around the drain. She was glad to be free of Festa and happy to end things there on a high note. She smiled when she thought about how excited Karen had been, and she refused to worry about how Megan would react, grateful she didn’t have to be part of that conversation.

  She heard a thump from the bedroom. “Hey, Joey. I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Penelope heard another thump and a mumbled response, which she couldn’t make out over the noise of the shower. Lathering up her hair, she turned her face to the water, letting the tension from the day fall away and disappear down the drain. Turning around to let the water beat on her shoulder blades, she heard a crash and her eyes flew open.

  “Ouch!” Soap ran into her eyes and she squeezed them tight, throwing water on her face to rinse them out. “Joey, you okay out there?”

  When she got no response, Penelope turned off the water and rubbed the remaining soap from her eyes with a towel. Wrapping a larger towel around her, she stepped out of the shower and onto the floor mat. “Joey, what’s going on?”

  Penelope reached out to touch the doorknob and heard heavy footsteps approaching on the other side and then heavy breathing. She pulled her hand away from the knob, fear causing her stomach to flip. Her eyes darted around the small bathroom, looking for something she could use to defend herself. She touched the end of the hot metal of the curling iron, then picked it up and yanked the cord from the socket.

  “Who’s there?” Penelope asked. Drops of water splashed onto the tiles at her feet.

  The labored breathing continued, then the footsteps retreated from the door. Penelope strained to hear, waiting until she was certain she’d heard the bedroom door open and close quietly before emerging.

  Penelope opened the bathroom door and stopped in her tracks. Her suitcase, which had been sitting on a stand in the corner of her room, was open on the floor, the contents strewn across the bed. All the bureau drawers had been opened and her clothes rifled through. Whoever had been in her room had been looking for something in a hurry.

  Penelope’s eyes darted around the room. She still grasped the curling iron in her hand. “What in the heck is going on?” she asked out loud. She padded to the door and saw that it was slightly open. She couldn’t remember if she’d locked it behind her when she’d come in, but was almost certain she had. Being a single girl in the big city, that was second nature. Penelope took a quick look down both directions of the empty hallway. She closed the door and spun the lock, listening to the click.

  Penelope tightened her towel then gathered her clothes. She had no idea what someone could have been searching for, but she was positive she hadn’t packed anything worth stealing.

  “Oh no,” Penelope said aloud. She pulled open the lid of her suitcase and felt for the interior zipper. She kept her jewelry stashed there in a small velvet bag when she traveled. None of the pieces were worth much; they were mostly gifts with sentimental value. Her heart sank when she found the pocket empty, the velvet bag gone.

  A jiggle on the doorknob caused her to stand up straight and pick up the curling iron from where she’d left it on the bed. She held it up, ready to strike any unwelcome visitor.

  “What are you doing?” Joey asked, an amused grin on his face. His expression quickly changed when he stepped into the room. “Looking for something?”

  “No,” Penelope said, dropping the curling iron back on the bed. “Someone came into our room while I was showering and went through my things. They stole my jewelry.”

  “What?” Joey asked sharply. He closed the door firmly behind him. “This place is nuts.”

  Penelope shrugged. “They’re aren’t worth anything, except to me.”

  “Except to you,” Joey repeated. He pulled her into a hug and sighed. “I don’t have a good feeling about this place at all, Penny. I’m not saying you can’t take care of yourself, because you can. But I’ll feel better when you’re back home with me.”

  Penelope pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. “Really?” Part of her wanted to leave right that minute, get on a plane with him, and never look back at Forrestville, Indiana again.

  “Yeah,” Joey said. “This kid, Bailey—the sheriff says he’s harmless, but I don’t know. There’s something going on, something the sheriff isn’t seeing it, or refuses to see.” He bent down to pick up a pair of her jeans, folding them and tucking them back in a drawer.

  “What happened down at the station?” Penelope asked.

  “Bailey says he didn’t have anything to do with Jordan’s death or the break-in,” Joey said, shaking his head.

  “How does he explain the wine bottles and the supplies from the restaurant? Not to mention Jordan’s boots.”

  “Bailey says he camps out up there on a regular basis, and people come in and out of his tent all the time. Sometimes friends, sometimes kids just passing through. He remembers drinking the wine, but not who brought it,” Joey said. “Says it just showed up one day.”

  “And Jordan’s boots?” Penelope asked.

  “Same thing,” Joey said. “They just appeared. He didn’t know anything about them.”

  “So he either doesn’t know or doesn’t want to tell on a friend,” Penelope said. She bent down to retrieve a pair of socks that had rolled under the bed. “Skylar, one of the younger crew members on the set, said he invited her and another girl up to the woods to party with him.”

  Joey pinched the bridge of his nose. “Anyway, he’s locked up for the night. That’s something, at least.”

  “Was he hurt? From me pushing him into a tree?” Penelope asked.

  “Nah, just a lump on his head. He’ll be fine. Physically.”

  Penelope did feel relieved to know she wouldn’t run into Bailey and that she hadn’t seriously hurt him. She was still proud of her mini-ambush, at how she’d taken down a fleeing suspect. She didn’t know exactly what it was about Bailey that set her on edge, but she’d felt uncomfortable around him every time they’d come in contact.

  After putting away the rest of her clothes, Penelope pulled on a pair of black pants and a silky shirt. She talked with Joey while he showered and she swiped mascara onto her lashes.

  “You look nice,” Joey said, stepping out and cinching a towel around his waist.

  “So do you,” Penelope said. “I assume we’re going somewhere nice tonight. By the way, I called the sheriff to report the break-in. He’s going to follow up tomorrow.”

  He’d actually asked Penelope to come to the station right then, but Randall had invited her and Joey to celebrate Arlena’s birthday in Quincy. They were all in the mood to escape Forrestville for the evening, even if it was only to a well-reviewed steakhouse less than an hour away. It looked like a hole in the wall in the pictures, but even if the food was just average, it would be a welcome change of scenery.

  “We have to leave in twenty minutes to make it on time,” Penelope reminded Joey as he rubbed the water from his hair with a towel.

  Penelope looked around the room for her iPad, her heart quickening until she found it. “This they leave behind,” she said, shaking her head. “Oh no,” she added, as she pawed through the contents of the drawer.

  “What?” Joey asked.

  “I stuck a check in here and it’s gone,” Penelope said.

  “Call the bank,” Joey said.

  “No, not one of mine. I found it at the restaurant and the guy, he’s out of town, so I was holding it until I saw him again.”

  “So they left the tablet but took a check. Not a blank check, either,” Joey said. “Why?”

  Penelope picked up the Bible that was tucked in the drawer and fanned through it, then sho
ok her head, closing the drawer slowly.

  Chapter 36

  “This place is great,” Max said as they entered the steakhouse in Quincy. The walls were decorated in a music motif, guitars and other instruments nailed in place over wallpaper with famous song lyrics and vinyl records. A five-piece band on a small stage played a funky version of “Blue Suede Shoes.”

  The hostess led their party to a quieter room in the back and sat them at a large round table near the bar. Penelope and Joey brought up the rear behind Max, Arlena, Sam, and surprisingly, Sybil Wilde, who Randall guided to the table with a hand on the small of her back. After everyone was settled, the owner came over to introduce himself and take drink orders.

  “Cool place, Daddy,” Arlena said. She looked radiant in a black V-neck sweater and jeans, with silver hoop earrings matching the silver necklace around her neck, her birthday gift from Sam. She held his fingers loosely in her own.

  “Happy birthday, Baby Girl,” Randall said, raising his glass of wine and toasting his daughter. “I couldn’t be more proud of you. I love you to the moon.”

  Arlena smiled and raised her glass too. “I love you too. All of you,” she said, her eyes landing on Sybil last. Her smile stayed in place, but her eyes lost a bit of sparkle. Sybil toasted her back and placed her hand on Randall’s forearm.

  “Your father has been telling me all about what you were like when you were little,” Sybil said, setting her glass on the table.

  Arlena smiled at her father. “Really?”

  “Oh, yes,” Sybil said. “He says you were a spitfire.”

  Randall laughed as Arlena blushed. “She was a perfect little girl in every way. And now look at her.”

  “Stop,” Arlena begged. “Someone talk about something else, please.” She threw Penelope a pleading glance.

  “Sybil, how are Jackson and Dakota liking show business?” Penelope asked, taking a piece of bread from the basket in the center of the table.

  “Oh, they have good days and bad, like all of us. But overall, they really do love it,” Sybil said.

  “If they ever decided to stop acting and do something else, how would you feel about that?” Penelope asked, ripping the bread into smaller pieces.

  Sybil’s smile faltered for a second, then became bright again. “Well, I suppose that would be fine. I love my children, and they should pursue whatever career they choose.”

  “These two took to acting like a fish to water,” Randall said, pointing at Max and Arlena. “But some of my other children are interested in other things.”

  Penelope considered what Sybil was saying. “How would you feel though, Sybil?”

  Sybil met her gaze. “As long as my children are happy and thriving, I’m happy.”

  Penelope nodded, satisfied.

  The owner returned and took their orders, promising them the best steaks in the state of Indiana.

  “Randall, did you guys notice a camp in the woods about a mile up the main path with a bunch of kids hanging around it, with a green camouflage tent?” Penelope asked.

  Randall thought for a moment. “Maybe. We did see some different folks out there, right?”

  Max nodded. “You know, there was one group, kind of rowdy, near one of the caves. They were just hanging out, drinking.”

  “Did you notice anything unusual about them?” Penelope asked.

  “No,” Max said. “It was just kids hanging out. It’s not like they have a mall to go to. It’s probably the only place to spend time away from home.”

  “Yeah,” Randall said. “I only saw them twice. Didn’t pay much attention. Ah…” He rubbed his hands together when the appetizers arrived. A bunch of fried things Penelope had never seen Arlena eat before and was surprised to see her digging into now.

  “Hungry?” Penelope asked, laughing.

  “You have no idea. That flu wiped me out,” Arlena said, nodding and grabbing a potato skin off the large platter. “I don’t want them to have to take my dress in again. That might send Jennifer right over the edge.”

  “If she survives that long,” Penelope said. She gave them a brief rundown of her encounter with the executives that morning.

  Sybil looked at Penelope with alarm as Randall refilled her wineglass from the bottle on the table. “Do you think they’re here to kill the project?”

  “Oh, I’m not sure about that,” Penelope said, backtracking. “I just know Jennifer is worried, that’s all.”

  “Well, I’m worried too,” Sybil said. “It’s not often a brother and sister role in the same film comes along, and that real siblings are cast. I looked for a project like this one for a while.”

  “Wow,” Penelope said. “I guess one or the other of them will be working separately at times, right?”

  “I guess.” Sybil sighed. “The business is so fickle, you could go years without work.” She glanced at Randall. “Well, not all of us. But middle-of-the-pack working actors have to fight for roles. That’s why I’m always careful with our money. I’m a big believer in saving and investing in real things, getting ready for the lean times.”

  Sybil turned to Randall when he lowered his voice to ask her a private question.

  Penelope turned to Joey. “Having fun?”

  “Sure,” Joey said, rubbing her shoulder. “Want to dance after dinner?”

  Penelope laughed. “I can’t dance.”

  “Sure you can,” Joey teased. “A night on the town might be just the thing you need.”

  “Okay, I’ll try,” Penelope agreed.

  After they finished dinner, Arlena’s party moved to the main bar room of the restaurant. Randall ordered a round of drinks and spun Sybil out on the dance floor, the two of them moving to the music so well it looked like they’d been practicing beforehand.

  The band was encouraged by the enthusiastic response and seemed to step up their game, launching from one upbeat classic rock number to another, keeping the energy going on the dance floor.

  Randall signaled the band and they launched into a choppy version of the Beatles’ tune “Birthday.” Arlena joined her father and they danced together, Arlena shaking her hair at her dad and Randall laughing out loud as he spun her around the floor. Sam and Max watched from nearby barstools with the rest of the crowd. Sybil sidled over to Penelope and, surprisingly, put an arm over her shoulders. She was a little tipsy, but Penelope thought it was more from the good time and being around Randall than the wine she’d had with dinner.

  “You’re enjoying yourself,” Penelope said.

  Sybil nodded quickly and took a sip of something pink from a straw. “He’s quite a man.” She watched Randall and Arlena dance together with clear admiration.

  “Yes, he is,” Penelope said. “Hopefully he’ll stick around a while so you can get to know each other better.”

  “I hope so too,” Sybil said. “So far, so good.” She glanced behind them, eyeing a set of drums that had been nailed over the bar. “This isn’t usually my kind of place, but I have to admit it’s fun.”

  Joey sidled up to Penelope and handed her another glass of wine.

  “Surprisingly, the food was good too,” Sybil said, bopping her head slightly to the music. “I mean, Festa is good, but how many times can you eat at the same place and not go crazy? I could never live here year round.”

  “I know what you mean,” Penelope said.

  “And that Ava woman is all over me every time I’m in there. It’s hard to relax and enjoy a good meal with her hovering,” Sybil said.

  Penelope stopped short and looked at Sybil. “What do you mean?” Penelope raised her voice to be heard over the music.

  Sybil waved her hand, as if she was sorry to have brought it up. “She’s very nice, I didn’t mean that. She’s just been pitching me on an investment, and I haven’t had a chance to review it. She’s like a dog with a bone, never let
s a visit go by without bringing it up.”

  “Really?” Penelope asked, glancing at Joey. “She’s never said anything to me about an investment opportunity.”

  Sybil laughed sharply. “You’re lucky. I’m sorry I ever said I’d look at the information. I was just being nice, really. Excuse me,” she said as Randall waved her over. A new song came on and she took Arlena’s place, swaying with Randall during a slower number. Sam took Arlena’s hand and pulled her back onto the dance floor, rocking with her to the music.

  “It’s now or never,” Joey said, taking Penelope’s glass and setting it down on the bar. “Dance with me.”

  Penelope smiled and followed him onto the floor.

  When they arrived back at the inn, Penelope was exhausted, but her head was still buzzing from the music. She’d never danced with Joey before, and she couldn’t remember the last time they’d laughed as hard as they had shimmying together in front of the band. Joey had some moves he’d obviously been holding back, and Penelope decided she’d start practicing so she could keep up with him the next time. Arlena had enjoyed her birthday surrounded by her favorite people. And Sybil.

  When they reached the Forrestville Inn, their headlights swept across the edge of the forest, and Penelope swore she saw someone at the edge of the main path.

  “Wait,” Penelope said as they drove past.

  “What?” Joey asked, tapping his fingers to invisible music.

  “Someone’s there,” Penelope said, pointing at the trail.

  “So what?” Joey soothed her. “If some hiker wants to go out there and freeze their tail off, that’s their business, right?”

  Penelope relaxed back against the seat. “Right, I’m sorry.”

  “No need to be sorry,” Joey said. “It’s a regular hangout—you’re just more aware of it now because of this morning.”

  “I suppose,” Penelope said. She wished she was still dancing in Quincy and not back home at the inn.