by Tina Kashian
She’d taken great pains with her outfit and had changed four times before Katie had helped her settle on a stylish yet casual pink sheath dress and wedge sandals. Her dark hair was loose and fell in soft curls just below her shoulders.
Azad led her to his truck. As she walked beside him, she noted he looked good in tan slacks and an untucked, button-down, collared shirt.
He opened the door for her, then walked around to slide behind the wheel. “Our dinner reservations aren’t until eight. I thought we could stop at Mac’s pub for a drink and to listen to a local band, then head to dinner.”
“Okay. That sounds great.” She reminded herself this wasn’t a romantic night out, but an opportunity to discuss the progress of the investigation.
Mac’s Irish Pub was owned by Mac McCabe and was a popular Ocean Crest hangout that had a wide array of microbrews on tap and often featured local bands for happy hour. Lucy had many fond memories of the place from her twenties. But most recently, her memories were of questioning Mac about the death of the town health inspector months ago.
Azad pulled out a bar stool and joined her. Mac McCabe was tending bar. He was a tall man with brown hair tied back in a ponytail, a big smile, and a large beer gut.
“Well, if it ain’t Lucy Berberian. I haven’t seen you since—”
“Since I questioned you about a murder?”
“Since you found the true murderer and cracked the case, I have no hard feelings. Now, what will you be having tonight?” he asked.
They ordered beers on tap and Mac placed frosty mugs on cardboard coasters that advertised a popular domestic beer.
Azad swiveled on his bar stool and faced Lucy. “Can I be honest about something?”
“Sure.”
“I was surprised, but glad, you agreed to go out with me tonight.”
Lucy sipped her beer, unsure how to answer. “My mom had something to do with it.”
A flicker of disappointment flashed in his eyes. “Ah, I should have known. Angela can be very persuasive.”
Lucy set down her mug. “It wasn’t like that. Yes, she’d be thrilled to learn that we’re out together, but that’s not what I meant.”
“She doesn’t know?”
“No. And she’s not why I said yes.”
“Then why?”
“My mom pointed out that the past is the past. I know I’ve changed since living in Philly for five years. It’s only fair to believe that you’ve changed as well. You graduated from culinary school, worked in Atlantic City, and returned to Kebab Kitchen—just like me.”
Azad’s lips twitched. “There’s something about the restaurant that pulls you back time and again. There’s no escaping it.”
“Tell me about it.” She slid her fingers down the frosty mug. “It was unfair of me to judge you about Cressida. I just wish you had told me before Stan Slade showed up and thrust that newspaper picture in my face. Azad, if I’m going to help you, then I need to know everything.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. It was so long ago, and I was worried about how you would react.” He reached out to touch her hand where it rested on the bar. “I swear to you that I never started dating her until a couple months after we broke up.”
Her skin tingled from his touch. “I believe you. I guess I was jealous.”
“There’s nothing to be jealous about. Cressida was never for me.”
Lucy felt a thrill to hear it. But her curiosity was aroused as well. Discussing the subject of Azad’s past was the perfect opportunity to learn more. “Since you know her better than I do, what did you think when Stan told us that Cressida had been romantically involved with Henry?”
“The truth is I can’t see it at all. Cressida was always vain.”
“How so?” Lucy prodded.
“She had her hair color touched up and her nails done weekly. She liked to visit tanning salons, and she shopped a ton, but she also worked out a lot and was a bit of a health freak when it came to her diet.”
Lucy recalled the tub of protein powder, health shakes, containers of flax and chia seeds, and the fancy blender that she’d seen in Cressida’s kitchen.
“She always went out with a fit crowd. We used to hang out at the gym,” Azad said.
Lucy could picture Azad in a weight room, muscles glistening from working out.
An image of Henry at the wedding came to mind. Handsome, but much older. He wouldn’t be able to physically compete with men who were thirty years younger.
“There’s only one reason I can think of why Cressida would have been with Henry Simms, and it wasn’t for love or sex,” Azad said.
Money.
Henry had been a bank president and lived in a pricey house with Holly. Cressida must have thought she’d hit the jackpot. It didn’t matter that he’d been married.
That was until she’d learned that Henry was broke and his wife held the purse strings to her own trust fund. That must have been a huge blow to Cressida. To top it off, Henry had no intention of leaving his wife.
But Cressida hadn’t given up. Somehow, she must have convinced Henry to name her as the beneficiary of his life insurance policy.
Then she’d killed him.
Clever Cressida.
Katie would tell Bill tonight, and he’d relay the information to Clemmons. Surely, the detective would have enough evidence to bring both Cressida and Holly in for further questioning.
Azad looked at his watch. “I almost forgot. I need to make a quick stop at the restaurant before we head to dinner. Do you mind?”
Lucy felt a small surge of disappointment. She’d been enjoying herself, and she didn’t want to be reminded of their work. On the other hand, how could she say no? Maybe he forgot his cell phone, house keys, or some other personal item?
She slipped off her bar stool. “Sure.”
The back parking lot was dark by the time they reached Kebab Kitchen and Azad parked his truck. He sat back and frowned. “The outside light is out.”
“I guess I need to replace the bulb.”
“No way. You need a ladder to do it. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
They got out of the car and walked to the back door that led to the storage room. He pulled out his cell phone and used the flashlight app to illuminate the door as he slipped his key into the lock.
So much for leaving his cell phone behind, she thought.
He opened the door, then flipped on the storage room light. “I promise this won’t take long.” He held the door for her.
Lucy reluctantly stepped inside.
And halted.
“Oh, my,” she said.
Her eyes were drawn to the new steel shelving that lined the perimeter of the storage room. Bags of bulgur and rice, flour and salt, canned items, and jars of spices that had previously been arrayed in a disorganized jumble on wooden pallets were now neatly arranged on the shelves.
“I wanted to surprise you,” Azad said.
He had.
She looked at him in amazement. “When did you do this?”
“I worked late last night and all day today when you had off. I knew how the unfinished work troubled you, and I wanted to get it all done.”
Her heart took a perilous leap. “Azad, I—”
“But I can’t take entire credit for it. Butch took over in the kitchen and Emma handled the dining room so that I could switch jobs from chef to handyman.”
She walked the perimeter and reached out to touch the new steel shelves as she envisioned adding additional supplies. It would be much easier, now, to locate items and maintain a consistent inventory. “I don’t know what to say, other than ‘thank you.’”
Azad pulled a hidden bottle of champagne and two flutes from one of the shelves. “How about we just celebrate with a toast?”
She smiled. “You thought of everything.”
“You bet. I want tonight to be special. A new beginning between us.” He popped the cork and poured two crystal flutes of golden, bubbly champagne. He handed her a glass and raised h
is. “To starting over.”
Thoughts of maintaining a business relationship or accompanying him tonight just to discuss the murder investigation flew out the window. She was stunned by his thoughtfulness.
She touched her glass to his. “I’ll toast to that.” She sipped the champagne and the bubbles tickled her nose. She felt a warm glow flow through her and gloried briefly in the shared moment.
Azad stepped close, and reaching out, plucked the flute from her hand. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and she sucked in a breath. There was only one reason a man would look at a woman that way.
His head lowered, his lips inches from hers. Her lips parted and her eyes closed in heightened anticipation.
The storage room door flew open and hit the opposite wall, rattling glass jars on the nearest shelf.
Lucy and Azad jumped apart.
“Lucy!” Michael Citteroni stood in the doorway, his tall, leather-clad frame casting a shadow on the storage room floor.
“What the hell!” Azad exclaimed.
Lucy’s gaze flew to the door. “Michael? What’s wrong?”
Michael’s blue eyes traveled from Lucy to Azad, then back to Lucy. “Sorry for intruding. I was next door in the bike shop and saw a light.”
“So you thought to barge in here without knocking,” Azad ground out.
A shadow crossed Michael’s face as he took in the bottle of champagne and glasses.
Uh-oh. The two men had gotten off to a rough start months ago. From their exchanged glares, things hadn’t gotten better.
Lucy stepped between them. “Michael wouldn’t rush here for no reason. What is it?”
“Detective Clemmons stopped a car in front of the bike shop,” Michael said. “I thought it was a routine traffic stop at first, but then Holly Simms stepped out. Clemmons read her her rights and took her away in handcuffs. Looks like Henry’s murderer was finally arrested. I thought you’d want to know.”
* * *
Lucy and Azad never made it to dinner. Their evening came to a screeching halt after Michael Citteroni’s big news, and Azad seemed to understand. After Lucy promised him a rain date, he’d dropped her off at Katie’s and said good night.
As soon as Lucy opened the front door, her cell phone rang. She dug it out of the bottom of her purse. She answered without recognizing the number. “Hello?”
“Lucy Berberian?”
It was a woman’s voice, but one she didn’t immediately recognize. “This is Lucy. Who is this?”
“It’s Holly.”
Surprise coursed through her. “Holly Simms?”
“Yes.”
Lucy’s purse slipped from her fingers and fell to the front hall with a thud. According to Michael, Holly had just been arrested. How could she have been released so quickly?
“How did you get this number?” Lucy asked.
“Scarlet gave it to me. After you accosted me in the parking lot outside the Big Tease Salon, I asked her for your number.”
Lucy had given both Scarlet and Victoria her cell number as a point of contact for the catering.
“First, I didn’t accost you. I merely asked you a few questions after you ditched your manicure and ran out like your hair was on fire when Cressida walked into the salon. Second, I take offense at Scarlet handing out my personal information.”
Holly’s laugh was brittle. “It’s a little too late for that.”
“How are you calling me, anyway? I heard you were arrested,” Lucy blurted out.
“You’re my phone call from jail.”
“Me? Don’t you think you should call a lawyer?”
“I was told you are one.”
Lucy’s grip on her cell phone tightened. “I’m not a criminal defense attorney. I can’t help you.”
“I think you can. You know more about this case than the police. I didn’t kill my husband.”
Was she serious? “Tell that to Detective Clemmons.”
“I only get one phone call. Will you give me the courtesy of a visit?”
This didn’t make sense. Holly was a wealthy woman with a fat trust fund. Didn’t she have a slew of lawyers on call?
“Please,” Holly said, her tone turning surprisingly pleading.
Lucy hesitated. Part of her was wildly curious. How had Holly managed to do it? And what story would she concoct in her defense? After breaking into Cressida’s home, Lucy was sure either Cressida or Holly had committed the murder.
Cressida had a strong motive after Henry had made her the beneficiary of his life insurance policy, and Holly had motive after learning she’d been duped into signing the policy over to her husband’s young lover. But Scarlet and Bradford were still suspects, too.
“All right,” Lucy conceded. “I’ll be there.”
She hung up the phone and leaned against the wall. Now what? Clemmons may be a jerk, but he wouldn’t have made an arrest without sufficient evidence. Prosecutor Walsh must have given him the green light. The wily prosecutor wanted a conviction, and fast, but she was also highly intelligent and bound by certain ethical rules. If she didn’t think Holly had killed her husband, then she wouldn’t have condoned Holly’s arrest and risked taking a losing case to court.
So, what had they learned about Holly that had resulted in her arrest over the other suspects?
“Who was that?”
Lucy turned to see Katie, dressed in fuzzy pink slippers and a robe, standing behind her. Her blond hair was in a ponytail and her face had been scrubbed clean of makeup. Clearly her friend had been on her way to bed. Lucy felt guilty for disturbing her, but she knew Katie would want to hear the news.
“You wouldn’t believe it,” Lucy said. “Holly’s been arrested, and her first phone call was to me. She wants me to visit her in jail.”
Katie sucked in a breath. “What does she want with you?”
“She thinks I know more about the case than anyone else.”
“She’s probably right about that.”
“She thinks I can help prove her innocence.”
A flash of humor crossed Katie’s face. “Give me a break. Don’t go. She’s just going to lie through her teeth.”
“I’m prepared for that, but the thing is, I almost feel sorry for her. Her husband cheated with a woman young enough to be their daughter. Then she learned he’d tricked her by having his life insurance changed to list Cressida as the beneficiary.”
“Still, somehow she lured him into your catering van, stabbed him to death with your sharp stainless-steel skewers, then allowed your head chef to take the blame,” Katie countered.
“But how did she lure Henry into the van in the first place?”
“He was intoxicated. Maybe she enticed him with hanky-panky.”
“Seriously?”
“Who knows? But with her arrest, at least Azad is off the hook.”
“True.” Lucy was relieved that with Holly behind bars, Azad would no longer be a suspect. But her inquisitive mind was not something she could just turn off. Questions arose and plagued her. It was like trying to put together a thousand-piece puzzle without the picture from the box.
How exactly had Holly managed to get Henry into the van? According to Michael, Holly had been chasing him all night and had not been with her husband. Michael had said Holly had disappeared for a half hour period when she’d claimed she’d gone to the ladies’ room. Had she somehow enticed Henry to join her in the van then? And how had she managed to open the van? It had been locked, and the only two people who had the key the entire evening were Azad and herself.
“I have questions for Holly. First, how did she get into the locked van?” Lucy said.
Katie twisted her ponytail. “Other than Holly sneaking into the kitchen and stealing the keys, there must have been a way. Think back to that day and retrace your steps.”
Lucy’s thoughts turned, and the image of the wedding day focused in her memory. “Azad had been driving and I was looking out the window taking in the sights and sounds and reminiscing ab
out how little Ocean Crest had changed since I was a girl. Other than the mansions on Oyster Street and Castle of the Sea, I thought the town had remained the same.”
“All right,” Katie prodded. “You were looking out the window. You arrived at Castle of the Sea and then . . .”
“Azad hit a pole backing up the van. We jumped out to view the damage. I hoped my dad wouldn’t notice, but I suspected he would. Then you arrived with Butch.”
“Before you jumped out, did you close your window?”
“My God,” Lucy blurted out, then looked at her friend. “That’s it! I must have forgotten to roll up the window. The van doesn’t have power locks or windows. Azad couldn’t have shut my window, and I forgot to do it after the accident. I was concerned with the damage to the bumper, not closing my window. That’s how Holly got into the van.”
Katie’s eyes lit with excitement. “And Holly managed to invite her cheating husband inside and stab him with a shish kebab skewer knowing it would look like someone from the restaurant was the killer.”
“Not just someone. Azad. Holly must have known about her husband’s troubles as bank president. What if she also knew that Azad hated Henry because of a denied bank loan?”
“Oh, that’s good.” Katie picked up Lucy’s purse from the floor and thrust it at her. “I’ve changed my mind. Go talk to her.”
CHAPTER 21
Officer Bill Watson was the first person Lucy saw as soon as she stepped into the police station Monday morning. Bill was standing behind the front desk sifting through a tall stack of papers and set them aside when the door opened.
“Hey, Lucy. I know why you’re here, but I admit to being surprised when Holly Simms used her one phone call to reach out to you.”
Lucy squirmed beneath Bill’s stare. From the beginning, he’d been crystal clear that he wanted her and Katie to stay out of the investigation. But now all bets were off. He knew they hadn’t listened. What she didn’t know was what Katie had told Bill of their whereabouts the other evening. Lucy doubted Katie confessed that they’d broken into Cressida’s home, hid in her coat closet, and fled across multiple lawns while being pursued by Bradford Papadopoulos.
Taking a deep breath, she decided to answer his question honestly. “I have no idea why Holly wants to see me.”
