by Jessica Beck
“Why do you say that?” I asked, studying the block printing again. If it were male or female oriented, I couldn’t see it.
“It just sounds like something a woman would write, at least to me.”
So he had nothing. “How about this? Does this photograph mean anything to you?” I asked as I pulled up the torn photo Grace had found.
“I’ve seen that sleeve before,” he said with a frown as he tapped the image with his index finger.
Were we actually making progress? “Who does it belong to?”
“I’ll be dipped in honey if I remember. It just looks familiar, that’s all.”
“Can you try a little harder? It might be important.”
“Sorry, it’s not exactly something that I committed to memory. I just saw it in passing. Why do you ask? Suzanne, are you onto something?”
“We’re just trying to gather some information right now,” I said as I put my phone away. “Why are you here, William?”
“I want to make you an offer for Dan’s business,” he said. It shocked me, to be honest. What would a man who prided himself as being a fine antiques dealer want with Dan’s junk inventory?
“Seriously? Why?”
“What do you mean? It might not appear that way to a layman, but Dan and I were in the same business, after all.”
“You sell antiques. He sold junk.”
William shrugged. “One man’s junk is another man’s antique. Most of what Dan had on hand was worthless, but there are gems there that he wasn’t even aware of. I figured if I bought the place out, I could sort through it at my own leisure. How about five thousand dollars for everything in the shop?”
“Sorry, but I’ve already been offered over twice that,” I said.
“Who’s trying to outbid me?” he asked, though it was more of a demand for information than it was a request.
“Technically, you’re trying to outbid him, and failing miserably at it, I might add.”
He took the comment in stride. “Ten thousand, huh? I might be able to go to twelve, if we have a deal on the spot.”
“Is it really worth that much to you?”
“It might be. Anyway, I’m willing to take the chance. As executrix, it’s up to you to make the best deal you can get, and I can promise you that you’re not going to get a better offer than I’m making you right here and now.”
“How did you know that I was even handling the estate?” I asked him.
“Word gets around town pretty quickly; I shouldn’t have to tell you that. What do you say to my offer? I’m warning you, it’s not going to be on the table forever.”
“Are you warning, or are you threatening?” I asked, taking a step back so I’d be closer to the cottage’s front door.
He looked honestly surprised by my reaction. “I would never threaten you, Suzanne. Far from it, I’m here to throw money at you if you’re smart enough to take it.”
“Insulting me isn’t going to get me to sell Aunt Teeks’s inventory to you,” I said.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. Is another dealer after his stock?” After a momentary pause, he said, “I’ll bet it’s Frost. He’s the one, isn’t he?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that,” I said.
“You don’t have to. Why does he want the inventory? He’s just after the land. Tell you what. Sell the contents to me, and then sell him the land the store sits on. That way it’s a win-win for everyone involved.”
“Except Dan,” I said. “He’s still dead, isn’t he?”
“You know what I mean. What do you say?”
“I need to consult with my attorney and the police before I do anything,” I explained.
“Fine, I understand. I’ll take a handshake for now.”
He extended his hand, but I refused it. “I’m not ready to commit.”
William withdrew it easily. “Just don’t take too long to think about it. I’ve got some other options I’ve been considering, and I’d hate for you to miss out on a golden opportunity. You might be kicking yourself later if you don’t take my offer. If I can unload some of my other assets, I might sell my own shop and do something else entirely with my life, so you should take advantage of me while you’ve got the chance.”
How many ways was this man going to try to cajole me into doing what he wanted me to do? “There’s something you should know, William.”
“What’s that?”
“When I’m pushed, I tend to push back.”
He looked startled by my statement. “Now who’s threatening whom?”
“It’s not a threat,” I said with my sweetest fake smile. “Think of it as more of a promise.”
“Message received. All I’m asking of you is that you don’t accept any final offers before you speak with me first. Is that a fair request?”
“I suppose so,” I said. “Do you have a card with your cellphone number on it? I tried getting in touch with you earlier, and I couldn’t.”
“I can do that,” he said as he pulled one from his wallet and handed it to me. “You can reach me at that number, day or night. I hope to hear from you again soon.”
I didn’t respond. I just tucked the card into my pocket and said, “Have a pleasant evening.”
Once he was gone, I called Grace. “Hey, are you at home?”
“Unfortunately. We were just about to go out when Stephen got a call from your husband.”
“Actually, he had someone else do it. Did someone just drive by your place?”
“Yes. Who was it? I didn’t recognize the car.”
“It was William Jecks. He just offered to buy Aunt Teeks.”
“You’re kidding me. Why on earth would he do that?”
“He claimed that Dan had some hidden treasures there. I just wonder if there’s more than junk in that shop. Two people want it, and they are both acting desperately to get it. What if Frost isn’t after the land after all but something Dan had in his inventory that he wouldn’t part with? Could both men be after the same item?”
“It’s possible. How can we figure out what it is, though? We can’t get back into the shop, remember?”
“You don’t have to remind me,” I said. “The second we get clearance, we need to go back in Aunt Teeks and see what we can find there.”
“Suzanne, will we even recognize it when we see it? Evidently Dan didn’t, and he owned the joint.”
“Who knows? Maybe he knew exactly what it was worth. That may have been the very reason that he wouldn’t sell it.”
“So, our theory is that someone tried to buy it from him, he refused, and so they killed him for it. If that were the case, wouldn’t they have taken it with them when they committed the murder?”
“Only if they were going to keep it for themselves, but what if they had another buyer for it? It might be traced back to them if they stole it in the commission of a murder, but if they bought the inventory off the estate, they’d have a clear provenance for it.”
“That’s a pretty sneaky way of thinking about it.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“I meant the killer, not you,” Grace said.
“Another possibility is that Jake’s patrol officer scared the killer away before he could get what he’d come for. If that’s the case, he might break back in before we even find out what he was after in the first place. There’s no way that place has been inventoried in the last ten years. It could be anything.”
“Then we have to look at everything, just as soon as we can get back in there. You’re off again tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“Yes. It’s the second day of our two-day test,” I said.
“How’s it going so far?”
“I’m happy to have the time to look into Dan’s murder, but I hate being away from Donut Hearts so much when I’m in town.”
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“You can have one or the other, but not both,” Grace said. Then, after a moment’s pause, she added, “There are some headlights heading our way. I wonder if William is coming back? False alarm. It’s your husband. They must have cleared up the road rage incident faster than they were expecting.”
“I’ll talk to you later,” I said as Jake drove the few yards left up to the cottage. I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell her that William might know who was excised from the mystery photograph, but I could do that tomorrow.
“Bye. Maybe now I’ll actually get to eat.”
“Suzanne, you must be freezing. Have you been out here the entire time waiting for me to get back?” Jake asked me as he approached.
“Will you kiss me if I say yes?” I asked him with a smile.
“I’ll kiss you regardless of your answer,” he said happily, and then he did just that, most satisfyingly.
“William Jecks was just here,” I said.
“That’s odd. What did he want?”
“He made me an offer for Dan’s entire inventory of stock, and when he found out someone else was bidding on it as well, he increased his offer quite a bit.”
“Did you tell him that Frost wanted it, too?” Jake asked me as we walked inside.
“I didn’t have to. He suspected as much himself, and then he offered me a compromise. If I sold him the inventory, I could sell Frost the land and make extra money for the estate. I’m beginning to wonder if the developer is interested in the land, after all. What if Dan had something of great value that he wouldn’t sell, so whoever wanted it decided to kill him and get it after he was dead?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me in the least. I’ll have my people step up their patrols around the shop,” Jake said as he reached for his cellphone.
“I thought you were supposed to stay away from the investigation.”
He grinned at me as he answered, “I’m just securing the property around April Springs. Patrolling high-risk areas is part of that.”
“Is Aunt Teeks really considered high risk?” I asked him.
“Given the fact that a murder occurred there yesterday, I’d say that it was the highest of all. My, but you lead an interesting life for a donut maker.”
“I don’t feel like one at the moment,” I said.
“Tomorrow is the last day of your test, Suzanne. After that, if you decide to, you can go back to normal life. Have you thought about what you’re going to do?”
“Not yet,” I said. “Frankly, I haven’t had time.”
“Then let’s go back inside, watch the fire, and then go to sleep. You can always worry about it tomorrow.”
“I wish there was more that I could do tonight.”
“I might be able to think of something,” he said with a grin.
“About the case.”
“Oh.”
I nudged him. “Don’t sound so disappointed. Come on, let’s see what we can come up with on our own that’s not related to homicide.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” he replied happily.
Chapter 16
“Good morning, sunshine. What are your plans today?” Jake asked me as he came downstairs the next morning.
I’d been up for a while, though it hadn’t been my intention. Even though Emma and Cheryl were running Donut Hearts again today without me, it was still hard to adjust my sleep schedule. Was it even going to be worth being off a few days a week if I couldn’t sleep? “Grace and I are getting together a little later.”
“Doesn’t that woman ever work?” he asked me, smiling.
“She has a pretty flexible schedule and a load of vacation time,” I answered. “It’s not a bad setup for her.”
“Did you sleep at all?” he asked me after going into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and returning.
“I managed to get a little rest,” I said. “While you’re up, would you put another small log on the fire?”
“I’d love to,” he said. As the log settled into the flames, Jake added, “I heard we might get some snow this evening.”
“I’ve been expecting it any day. I can’t imagine living someplace where I didn’t see it at least once a year.”
“If I have anything to say about it, you never will.” He laughed. “As many headaches as it can cause sometimes, I love it, too. The park is beautiful buried under a blanket of white, isn’t it?”
“Just about everything is,” I agreed. “Do you have big plans today?”
“Well, I’m officially off today, but since you and Grace are sleuthing, I thought I’d cancel my vacation and go on in. Would you mind?”
“No, it makes perfect sense. I’m just sorry this murder came along.”
He leaned forward and kissed me lightly. “We’ll have other days together. If you need me, I’m never more than a phone call away.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“Well, I’d better get ready for work, though I’m tempted to just sit here and enjoy the fire all day.”
“You could still do that without me, you know,” I said.
“What fun would that be? We both know that I’d be bored within an hour. Besides, who else is going to keep the streets of April Springs safe?”
“Usually it’s not that big a challenge, is it?” I asked.
“You’d be surprised.”
After a quick breakfast, Jake was on his way. I let the fire die down as I sat there wondering what Grace and I should do next. I had a strong feeling that one of our suspects was the killer, based on one rather large assumption. If Dan had been killed intentionally and not as a part of a random robbery, we were on the right track. If, on the other hand, the state police’s theory was right, Grace and I were going out of our way to irritate some of our neighbors for no good reason. It was a risk I was willing to take.
I was just about to call my best friend when there was a knock on the front door. Was it Grace, or was someone else calling on me?
“Jeffrey, what are you doing here so bright and early this morning?” I asked the developer as I answered my door. At least I’d had the foresight to grab my jacket first this time. As I stepped out onto the porch to greet him, I could smell the clean crispness in the air that often meant coming snow.
“I’m headed out of town for the day, and I wanted to see if you’d had a chance to make up your mind about my offer.”
“That depends,” I said. “Another party has expressed interest in the inventory of Aunt Teeks. Would you be willing to buy the land and let someone else have the contents of the shop?” I didn’t care that much about the deal. What I really wanted to see was exactly what part of Dan’s estate the man was driven to acquire.
“That’s fine with me. I’ll tell you what. I won’t even lower my offer. You can consider that extra ten grand as a bonus.”
So, if there was something worthwhile inside, Jeffrey didn’t know about it. Then again, if it was the land itself he was interested enough to kill for, then Dan’s inventory would just be a hindrance instead of an asset to him.
“Thanks, that’s helpful.”
“So, are you ready to make the deal?”
“Not just yet, but I’m getting closer,” I said.
He frowned. “Suzanne, you can’t keep me on the hook forever. I have other options besides Dan’s property, you know.”
“I’m not trying to string you along,” I lied. “We just need to solve Dan’s murder before I can start selling his possessions. The only way you can help expedite the sale is to give me anything you might have that could help us figure out who murdered Dan.”
The developer frowned for a moment, and then he reluctantly said, “I don’t like pointing fingers, and if you tell anyone you heard something from me later, I’ll deny it. Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” I said. “What do you know?”
“Dan was dating Belinda Carson,” he said solemnly.
“I already knew that.”
Frost looked a little disappointed before he added, “Fine, but did you know that Belinda threatened him?”
“When did this happen?”
“I was out at the junk shop a few days ago to give Dan a better bid for his property when I happened upon them having a heated argument outside by the front door. Normally I don’t like to eavesdrop, but I didn’t see how I could just walk over to them and pretend that I hadn’t heard anything.”
“How long were you listening to them?”
“It wasn’t more than two minutes, but believe me, it was enough. Before they could catch me, I went back to my truck and pretended to have just driven up, but I heard plenty while I was standing there.”
“What exactly did you hear?”
“Dan said that he was tired of hiding their relationship from the rest of the world and that if she didn’t start telling people about them, then he was going to take matters into his own hands. She lost her mind, Suzanne! Belinda started screaming at him that if he so much as breathed a word about them dating to anyone, it would be the last thing he ever did. I never would have believed that high-and-mighty woman could be so fierce if I hadn’t heard it myself.”
“How did Dan react to that?”
“I have no idea. That’s when I got out of there. After hearing Belinda, I didn’t want to take the chance that she’d turn that temper on me. I went back to the truck and started it up again. I’d planned on hanging around until Belinda left, but she stormed off toward me before I could get away. Her face was white with anger, and when she saw me, she headed straight for me. I shut off the truck and got out, ready to make up some kind of lie, but I didn’t need to. She asked me if I’d just gotten there, and I said that I had. Then, doing her best to calm down, she explained that she’d been looking for a paperweight for her brother’s birthday present but that she hadn’t had any luck. I wasn’t about to contradict her, and she seemed satisfied that I’d bought her story. When I went in to talk to Dan, he was visibly shaken by the confrontation, and I could tell that he wasn’t ready to hear another offer from me, so I got out of there without lingering a second I didn’t have to. If you ask me, he was afraid for his life, and after hearing Belinda’s explosion, I didn’t blame him.”
