Death by Intermission

by Alexis Morgan

  Jean, who always had the closest connection to the unofficial gossip brigade in town, responded first. “Not that anyone knows about. As far as I’ve heard, the only reason he moved here was because that nice Mr. Davidson passed away unexpectedly. The home office sent Mr. Anders down here to take over his office, but I never met the man.”

  Louise joined in. “I have my car insurance through that company. Even though Mr. Davidson was my agent for years, I rarely had to contact him. In fact, when a rock cracked my windshield last year, I never spoke to him at all. It was his daughter who gave me the name of the glass shop to use.”

  That bit of information was unexpected. “You’re talking about Jada Davidson? She worked in her father’s office?”

  “Yes, although I’m sure it was only part-time. She’s a student at the university, I believe.” Louise gave Abby a curious look. “Why? Do you know her?”

  Abby nodded. “We’ve met, but only briefly. She works for Owen Quinn now.”

  Glenda frowned. “That must be a recent change. Jada worked in her father’s office up until recently. He was always so proud of her. Had her picture on his desk and bragged about her grades and how hard she worked. Maybe she left because it would be difficult to see someone else sitting at her father’s desk.”

  Before the conversation could continue, Louise’s phone beeped. She picked up and touched the screen. “That’s our cue, ladies. You asked me to let you know when it was ten thirty.”

  She smiled at Abby. “We want to make sure we had time to help you clean up and still be out the door by eleven. We’re going to the diner for lunch and have to get there early to get a booth. I swear, that place gets more crowded every day.”

  They helped carry everything back to the kitchen. Abby had given up telling them she could handle the cleanup by herself. When everything was put away, she followed them back down the hall to get their purses. “Jean, don’t forget to take your casserole dish. Tripp had class this morning, so he couldn’t be here to give it to you himself.”

  Jean looked disappointed as Abby helped her down the steps and into the back seat of Glenda’s sedan. As they backed out of the driveway, Abby waved. “Enjoy your lunch! Leave some pie for me and Bridey.”

  Once they were out of sight, she headed back inside to ponder what she’d gleaned from their conversation. Her gut said the fact that Jada had worked in the insurance office was significant. The question was why.

  Zeke was waiting for her inside. He whined softly and stared at the door. “Okay, big guy, I can take a hint. Let me grab my keys and your leash. We’ll take a quick walk before I have to meet Bridey for lunch.”

  And while they made the rounds, she’d figure out what to do with the knowledge that there was a direct connection between Jada Davidson and the murder victim.

  CHAPTER 13

  “So how are you and your mom handling being temporary roommates?”

  At least Bridey had waited until Frannie took their orders before asking. Abby debated how much to share but decided venting a little wouldn’t hurt. “Not all that great, especially yesterday afternoon. From out of nowhere, she informed me I needed to leave Snowberry Creek and get on with my life. I was so mad, I got out of the car and walked home rather than listen to whatever else she had to say. I don’t know what she said to Tripp, but he and Zeke hiked out to meet me. By the time we’d circled the block, I had my temper back under control. Mostly, anyway.”

  She dragged her finger down the outside of her water glass, tracing a pattern in the moisture that coated its surface. “Maybe she realized she’d overstepped her boundaries, because the evening was pretty quiet. She left this morning to visit Owen at the jail again. After that, she was heading back to her place to get more clothes, so she expects to be here awhile longer.”

  Bridey grimaced. “Sorry.”

  So was Abby. “I just hope that Gage gets this mess figured out soon.”

  “Any idea how the investigation is going? Or why he’s still holding Owen?”

  Abby sighed. “I still think Owen knows something that he doesn’t want Gage to find out about. Have you heard anything?”

  Bridey shrugged. “People are upset, of course. It’s kind of scary knowing that someone was murdered while we were all so close by, watching the movie. Who does something like that?”

  Good question, but one Abby had no answer for. At least not yet. “Did you or your hubby know Don Davidson?”

  If Bridey was surprised by the change in direction, she gave no indication of it. “Yeah, Seth and I had several policies with him, personal as well as business. He was well thought of, and folks took the news of his death hard. It was his heart, I think.”

  That pretty much fit in with what Abby had heard about the man. “I never met him, but I’ve met his daughter. I understand Jada used to work for the company, too, but not anymore. I guess it wouldn’t have felt right working in the same office but without her father.”

  Bridey leaned forward and lowered her voice. “From what I’ve heard, leaving wasn’t exactly Jada’s choice. No one was surprised that they brought in another agent right away, but the first thing Mitch Anders did was tell Jada he no longer needed her services. So in a matter of days, she lost both her father and her job. A lot of folks didn’t take kindly to that. For sure it didn’t win him any friends.”

  “I can see why. I suppose the insurance company will be sending in another agent soon.”

  “They’ll have to. Someone has to oversee all those policies and stuff.”

  Before Abby could think of any other questions to ask, Frannie was back with their food, which ended any chance for further discussion. Bridey was on a tight schedule and needed to get back to her shop before the afternoon rush began. The information she’d given Abby filled in a few more pieces in the puzzle of what had happened to Mitchell Anders. Now all she had to do was start fitting them together. At least she knew why Jada was now working for Owen Quinn.

  After making quick work of their meal, they walked out of the diner together. “Thanks again for lunch, Abby. It feels good to get away from work for a little while, but I’d better hustle back before the high school horde descends on the shop en masse.”

  “Personally, I’m going to go home and catch up on a few things and bask in a little solitude before Mom comes back.”

  After they parted ways, Abby headed down the street to where she’d left her car. As she strolled along the sidewalk, a sign on the front window of a nearby building caught her eye. On some level, she’d known that the insurance office was in that general area, but she’d never really paid any attention to it as she passed by. Curiosity had her slowing down to take a peek.

  Evidently, Mitch Anders hadn’t had time to change the sign, because Don Davidson’s name was still on the door. It would likely stay that way until the new agent arrived. The lights were turned off, but enough sunshine filtered in through the windows to allow her to see inside. From what she could tell, it was pretty much how anyone would expect an insurance office to look, everything all neat and tidy.

  Deciding there was nothing else to be learned, she started to turn away when she noticed one oddity. Behind the largest desk, there was a rectangular space on the wall where the paint was brighter than the surrounding area. Evidently a large picture had hung there long enough for the paint around it to have faded over time. Interesting, but probably not significant. After all, the office had changed hands recently. No doubt Mitch Anders had been in the middle of personalizing the place to reflect his own tastes.

  “Sorry, but I think that office is closed indefinitely.”

  Abby jumped back at the unexpected comment. She nearly ran into the man standing just behind her shoulder. He immediately offered her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  He was about average height, balding, and looked to be in his late forties. Although not particularly intimidating, his sudden appearance had left Abby a bit shaken. She took a half step back in an a
ttempt to put a little more distance between them. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much room to maneuver with the building right behind her. “No problem. I guess my mind was somewhere else, and I didn’t hear you approach.”

  Maybe he realized she wasn’t comfortable with having a strange man standing so close because he backed up two steps and apologized again as he nodded in the direction of the door. “Sorry, I was just saying that the office is closed. The agent died a couple of days back, and I guess no one else has stepped in to take over yet.”

  “I’d heard.”

  That was putting it mildly, but she didn’t want to get into that particular discussion with a total stranger. The expression on his face was rather stark as he looked past her into the darkened office. He scanned the room much as she had, staring briefly at the large desk or maybe the wall behind it. It was tempting to ask if he knew what kind of picture had been taken down, but still she felt hesitant.

  “I was friends with the prior agent, Don Davidson. I didn’t know the new guy who replaced him.” Then he glanced at Abby and stuck out his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Will Swahn.”

  She reluctantly shook his hand. “Hi, I’m Abby McCree.”

  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, his eyebrows shot up. “Hey, aren’t you the one who found the body in the park the other night? That had to be hard.”

  “Yes, it was, even though I had never met him. I guess that’s why I stopped to peek in the office, maybe to get some idea of who he was. I didn’t know Mr. Davidson either, but I’ve heard good things about him. I have met his daughter, though.”

  “Well, there’s a coincidence for you. Her dad was my best friend, and I’m Jada’s godfather. I bet she’s taking all of this pretty hard, poor kid. It doesn’t help that she lost her position here at the insurance office when her dad died, and now her new boss is in jail on murder charges. I guess she’ll have to start looking for another job.”

  Owen hadn’t actually been charged, but Abby didn’t bother to correct him. She could share one thing that might help him feel better about the situation. “Actually, Mr. Quinn promised to pay Jada’s salary even though the restaurant is closed for the time being.”

  That information clearly took him by surprise. “Where did you hear that?”

  Okay, maybe it would’ve been smarter to keep her mouth shut, but now she had no choice but to answer. That didn’t mean she had to go into detail. “Mr. Quinn is a casual acquaintance of someone close to me.”

  Will looked doubtful. “How is he supposed to keep paying her if he’s in jail for murder?”

  Although his voice sounded as if he were merely curious, there was something in his eyes that made her think that there were deeper emotions in play. Of course that would make sense if Will Swahn and Jada’s father had been that close. It would only be natural for him to be concerned about his goddaughter’s welfare.

  Once again, it was difficult to come up with answers that didn’t reveal too much insider information. He didn’t need to know about her mother’s direct connection to Owen, or that Abby’s friendship with the police chief had gotten them inside the jail to visit Owen. Finally, she settled for saying, “You’d have to talk to Chief Logan directly if you want to know more about Owen’s situation.”

  Before he could ask her any other awkward questions, she checked the time. “Oops, I’ve got to go. I hadn’t realize how late it had gotten.”

  “Same here, Ms. McCree. I’m due somewhere myself.”

  Without another word, he walked away, leaving her staring at his back. After one last glance into the insurance office, she headed toward her car. It really was time to get back home and do something to relax. Maybe she’d work out in the yard for a while and put all this murder stuff out of her mind. Zeke would probably appreciate the opportunity to bask in the sun while she weeded the flowerbeds.

  As she drove the short distance back to the house, she considered the few bits of information she’d gleaned from her brief conversation with Jada’s godfather. Once again her mind filled with the image of a bunch of mismatched puzzle pieces that hadn’t yet come together to form a cohesive whole. Still, she had more pieces now than she’d had before she left home. If she could fit a few together in her mind, though, maybe they would point her in the right direction to ask further questions.

  It might help if she laid it all out for Tripp, to see what he thought. There was one big problem with that idea. The man wouldn’t be happy she’d been talking with a total stranger. It might be smarter to keep the information to herself for a while longer.

  As she turned into her driveway, she vowed to remain positive about the situation. With all of Gage’s experience and training, surely he would be able to figure out how Owen’s chef knife had ended up at the crime scene. With luck, the explanation wouldn’t end up with her mother’s new boyfriend spending the rest of his life behind bars. With that happy thought, she headed inside and changed into her gardening clothes.

  When she was done, she called Zeke to her side. “Come on, boy. Let’s go outside. You can supervise while I work.”

  Then she looked around the yard. “And if you don’t mind, keep an eye out for any unsavory characters who might decide to pay us a visit.”

  And bless the big mastiff mix, he woofed his agreement and trotted off to lie down where he could keep watch. Feeling better knowing the dog had her back, Abby gathered up her yard tools and got to work. As she dug in the rich soil, she really wished she could vanquish her concerns about Mitch Anders’s death as easily as she could the weeds around the azaleas.

  CHAPTER 14

  In Abby’s experience, phone calls in the middle of the night were never a good thing. Her heart racing, she jerked upright and fumbled for her cell phone on the bedside table. Seeing Gage Logan’s name on the caller ID only made it that much worse. “Gage?”

  “I hate to bother you, Abby, but I need a favor.”

  If it had been anyone else, she would’ve demanded details before agreeing to the request, but Gage wouldn’t have called her if it wasn’t important. “Sure thing. What do you need me to do at”—she held up the phone to double-check the time—“three in the morning?”

  “Sorry, but it’s not like I can schedule these things.”

  Her pulse pounded in her head as she said, “It’s okay, Gage. Just tell me what’s up.”

  “I understand you know Jada Davidson. Is that true?”

  Was that a trick question? Only one way to find out. “I met her briefly. Owen asked Mom and me to stop by to check on her for him after the first time we visited him at the jail. That’s the only time I’ve ever talked to her.”

  There was a long silence before Gage responded. “Interesting. That makes me wonder why she asked me to call you instead of someone she knows better.”

  Good question. Abby sat on the side of the bed and did her best to gather up her scattered thoughts. “Well, she seemed pretty upset about the situation with Owen, especially coming so soon after the death of her father. I don’t know why exactly, but I got the impression she didn’t have anyone to talk to. As Mom and I were leaving, I gave Jada my phone number and told her to call me if she needed anything.”

  She stood up and walked over to look out the window, at the same time bracing herself for the worst. “What’s happened to Jada? Is she okay?”

  “Not exactly. Someone broke into her house tonight. She wasn’t hurt, but Jada is understandably pretty shaken up. I don’t blame her. It looks like the perp first tried to pick the lock, but the dead bolt probably kept him from getting in. He finally gave up and kicked the front door off its hinges. The noise alone probably scared her half to death. When I asked if there was a friend she could crash with for the night, she gave me your name.”

  “Of course she can come here. Tell Jada I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

  “Thanks, Abby. I owe you.”

  After hanging up, she grabbed yesterday’s jeans and a clean shirt before he
ading into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth to make herself feel a little more human. Next, she ran upstairs to open her mother’s door.

  “Mom, sorry to wake you up, but I have to go out for a while. I shouldn’t be gone long.”

  Her mother sat up in bed. “What’s happened?”

  Abby filled her in on the few details she knew. “Anyway, Gage asked if I could pick up Jada and bring her here. It shouldn’t take long, but I didn’t want you to wake up and find me gone with no explanation.”

  “Do you want me to come, too?”

  Abby considered the idea but rejected it. Waiting for her mother to get dressed would only delay things. “That’s okay. Go back to sleep if you can. I’ll let you know when we get back.”

  “I’ll try, but I’m pretty wide-awake now.”

  “Either way, I’ll see you soon.”

  Abby turned on the outside lights and grabbed her purse off the counter. Tripp was a pretty light sleeper, so it was no surprise when he stepped out on his own porch before she’d even reached her car.

  “What’s up, Abby?”

  “Gage called. Someone broke into Jada Davidson’s house. I’m going to bring her back here for the night.”

  “Give me a minute to put on some shoes and lock up.”

  He disappeared back into the house before she could protest, not that she really wanted to. Ordinarily, she felt pretty safe in Snowberry Creek. But with both a killer and now a burglar on the loose, it was better to err on the side of caution.

  Tripp made it in record time. He was dressed in baggy sweatpants and a plain white cotton T-shirt, probably what he’d worn to bed. She fought the urge to smile at how cute and rumpled he looked with his hair uncombed and his jaw shadowed with a bit of scruff.

  “Does Gage have any idea who did it?”

  “He didn’t say, but I’m guessing not. However, someone kicked the door off the hinges, so Jada’s understandably a bit freaked out by the situation.”