Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece

by Rose Pressey

Panic had taken over my body. If Ruth wasn’t involved with Max, I had to warn her so she could run as well. It seemed as if running might be my only way to get away. When I turned around to look at Max, he was giving me the evilest look I had ever seen.

  “What do you want?” I asked.

  “I think you should mind your own business,” Max said.

  It was too late for that. “I know what you’ve done,” I said.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t have told him that,” Elizabeth said. “You should’ve left him guessing.”

  “I think he already knew anyway,” I said, glancing at Elizabeth.

  Yes, I was talking to Elizabeth, and Max gave a confused look. He wasn’t sure who I was talking to or if I’d totally lost it.

  “Ruth, you should get out of here,” I yelled.

  Checking over my shoulder, I realized Ruth was still glaring at me. Well, that explained why she’d jumped out in front of me. She was working with Max. I would never have guessed the two of them were in cahoots.

  “You’ve been taking the money and giving it to Max, right?” I asked. “You were working together.”

  “How clever you are,” Ruth said.

  “And you killed Evan,” I said.

  “Right again,” Max said with a click of his tongue.

  “This is scaring me, Celeste,” Elizabeth said. “You have to get out of here.”

  With Ruth behind me and Max in front, I wasn’t sure how escaping would be possible. I was trapped, with nowhere to go. I supposed there wasn’t a way to talk myself out of the situation either.

  “Why did you do this?” I asked.

  “That’s not something I can discuss with you,” Max said.

  “You wanted Evan’s job,” I said. “And Ruth, I’m not sure why you did this. You just wanted the money, I guess.”

  That was when it hit me. I remembered what I’d seen in her trailer. The name on the paper gave away Ruth’s real identity.

  “You’re Max’s mother,” I said. “And that’s why you’re doing this. You two are in on this together to take everyone’s money. Ruth Stone. That’s your real name, not Ruth Gordon. You’re Max’s mother!”

  “I’m a proud mama,” she said, holding her head high.

  “Evan found out about what you were doing,” I said. “It all makes sense now.”

  “You are a clever one,” Ruth said with a wiggle of her finger. “I knew we would have trouble out of you when I saw those paintings. Such talent. It’s too bad that now it’ll all be over for you.”

  I didn’t like the way that sounded. Did she mean it would all be over as in no more painting, or were they going to murder me? I probably knew the answer to my question.

  “Oh, Celeste, you have to get away from them,” Elizabeth said.

  I tried to remain calm and contemplate my options. Which were few. I could try to run past Max, but he would just reach out and grab me. Or I could move back and run past his mother. I was pretty sure the same scenario would play out with that option.

  If only I could cause a distraction, I’d run. But once they figured out it was just a distraction, they would come after me. I had my phone in my pocket. If I could dial 911, maybe I could get a bit of help.

  Was there any other way to defend myself? They could just kill me right here and no one would see. That was exactly what they’d done to Evan. And that was probably what they intended for me.

  Ruth pulled out a carving knife from her pocket. Although it was small, I knew it could cause a fatal injury. Van bared his teeth and growled.

  “Another carving knife to the neck? Is that what you’re going to do? Can’t you be more original than that?” I shielded Van with my arms to protect him in case she made a move.

  “Pardon me for interrupting, Celeste, but perhaps you shouldn’t antagonize them,” Elizabeth said. “They’re already angry.”

  I totally saw her point. However, if they were angry, that might mean their minds weren’t as clear and their thinking would be skewed. Their logic would be gone, and I would be able to outsmart them. It was the only plan I could think of.

  “Don’t worry, we have something completely different in store for you,” Ruth said with an evil grin. “Don’t you want to find out what it is?”

  “Not particularly, no,” I said. “You won’t get away with this. I’ve already contacted the police and they’re on their way.”

  “Don’t listen to her, Max. She’s just saying that. It’s not true,” Ruth said.

  Max looked as if he was contemplating the idea. I had put doubt in his mind. He didn’t know if I had called the cops or not.

  “Oh, I most definitely called,” I said. “And they should be here any second.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Travel tip number 27: Sometimes it takes a bit to get the hang of things.

  Placing Van on the ground, I lunged forward, running toward Max. Maybe he would be so surprised, it would throw him off his guard. As fast as my legs would allow, I ran for him. His eyes widened when he realized what was happening. Stretching his arms out, he readied himself to tackle me.

  When I was almost upon him, I darted to the left to dodge around him. Unfortunately, my calculations were off, and Max managed to grab me. We tumbled to the ground. The weight of his body almost crushed me. I was more concerned about Van. I could hear him barking. When I looked to the left, I realized he’d taken off. That was my worst nightmare. I would never be able to find him now—though that might not matter, because it looked as if Max was going to kill me right there by my trailer.

  “Hurry up and get rid of her before someone sees us,” Ruth said.

  “Oh, Celeste, how are you going to get out of this?” Elizabeth asked.

  Max was dragging me away from the trailer and trying to get me in his car. But I wouldn’t go without a fight. I knew once he got me in the vehicle, it would be all over for me. I would stand a better chance of getting away if I were here. Maybe someone would hear all the commotion.

  Ruth raced over and grabbed my leg. Max was pulling me from the upper body. The next thing I knew, loud, growling sounds surrounded us. Ruth screamed. She was shaking her leg, trying to get Van to release his grip on her. His teeth had pierced her ankle. Van wasn’t alone. He had brought reinforcements.

  Caleb’s German shepherd, Gum Shoe, stood over Ruth now, growling and baring his teeth. Van released his hold and Ruth froze on the spot. Max let go of me, obviously afraid the dog would attack his mother.

  I pushed to my feet and raced over to grab Van.

  “Gum Shoe, where are you?” Caleb yelled.

  As I raced around the trailer, I smacked right into him.

  “Are you all right, Celeste?” he asked.

  He looked over my shoulder and spotted Gum Shoe standing over Ruth and Max, who were both frozen in fear.

  “Don’t stop him,” I said. “You have to call the police. Max is the killer and Ruth is his accomplice. She’s also his mom! They were trying to kidnap me to murder me. Thank goodness Van and Gum Shoe stopped them.”

  Caleb was ready to pull out his phone when police cars surrounded us.

  “Put your hands up,” an officer said as he jumped out of his car.

  We all did as we were told. I put one hand up because I was holding Van with my other one. I was surprised that neither Max nor Ruth had tried to run. I supposed they knew when it was over for them.

  Now I had to explain to the police officers what had happened, and they needed to place Max and Ruth in handcuffs. About twenty police cars had descended on the area.

  Caleb got Gum Shoe and patted his head. “Good job, buddy. He took off with Van. I didn’t know what was going on, so I followed them.”

  “I can’t believe Van went to get his buddy to save me. Van is my hero. And Gum Shoe too. I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.”

  “They’re brave,” Caleb said.

  As we stood behind my Shasta near the old oak tree, I looked around for Elizabeth, but she was now
here to be found.

  “Are you looking for someone?” Caleb asked as he rubbed Van’s head.

  I sighed. “No.”

  What was the point? He couldn’t see her anyway. Sunlight filtered through the tree’s branches splashing across Caleb’s handsome face and blond-streaked hair. The tall trees creaked and the leaves rustled in the wind.

  “I have something to confess,” I said.

  “Is that right? What is it?” Caleb asked as he swatted away a mosquito.

  “You were on the top of my suspects list. I mean, no offense, but you were right there when Evan was killed. You had those cuts on your hands, and I saw you with all that money. Not to mention the bloody shirt.”

  “You saw the shirt, huh? I suppose that looked suspicious. I just didn’t want you to know how clumsy I am.”

  “I’d rather have known you were clumsy than think you were the killer,” I said.

  “Yet you still went out with me?” he asked.

  “I figured if I went out with you, I could get closer, and maybe get some clues. Or a confession.”

  “That was very dangerous, Celeste,” he said.

  “That’s what I told her,” Elizabeth said.

  I jumped when I realized she was beside me again.

  “Anyway, like I said, I didn’t want to believe it.”

  “You didn’t?” Caleb asked.

  “No, I didn’t. Well, you’re so nice,” I said.

  “I try to be,” he said while blushing.

  “So what about the cuts on your hands?” I leaned against the oak tree’s trunk to step out of the sunshine.

  “It was exactly like I told you,” he said.

  “Well, you said a couple of things, one to Aunt Patsy and another to me.”

  “They were both true,” he said.

  “I should apologize for thinking you were the killer and had stolen all that money.”

  “I suppose I should say the same to you,” he said.

  “You really thought I was the killer? That I was capable of doing something like that?”

  “In my line of work, I have to be suspicious of everyone. No matter how nice they seem, the person could always be hiding something.”

  “That’s true. I won’t hold that against you.”

  He laughed. “Thank you. I’m just glad we have the perpetrators now.

  “Maybe things will get back to normal,” I said.

  “Speaking of normal, do you plan on going to the Farewell Summer Arts and Crafts Fair in a couple of weeks? It’s over in Cherokee.”

  I smiled. “Yes, I plan on going. What about you?”

  “I think it would be a good idea,” he said. “I had a lot of fun hanging around with you. And I’d like to continue that now that this fair is almost over.”

  I knew I was probably blushing. Speaking of blushing, Pierce had arrived and was speaking with another detective. I didn’t think they’d even noticed me yet. The way I felt about spending more time with Caleb, I also felt about Pierce. What would I do? I wouldn’t tell Caleb about my feelings, that was for sure.

  As if on cue, Pierce waved. Caleb noticed him and tossed up his hand.

  “Wait a minute. You’re not enemies?” I asked. “It seemed like you two didn’t like each other.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say enemies, no.”

  “The tension is definitely there when you two are around each other,” I said.

  “I suppose we have our reasons,” he said.

  “What are those reasons?” I eyed him suspiciously.

  “I’m not sure I can disclose that right now,” Caleb said.

  Why couldn’t he just give me an honest answer? Why were things so secretive? Wait. Madame Gerard said someone was watching me and it was a secret.

  “You knew each other before meeting here, didn’t you? And what did you mean when you said in your line of work, you have to be suspicious of everyone? You don’t mean being a wood sculptor, do you?”

  “I was wondering when you were going to catch that,” he said with a sheepish grin.

  “The stress slowed me down, I guess. Are you going to tell me what’s going on here?” I asked.

  “I’m a detective with the police department. I’ve been working undercover. We knew someone had been taking money from craft fairs.”

  “Your real name is Caleb Ward, though, right?”

  “Yes, my name is Caleb Ward. And I am a wood sculptor. Maybe not a great one, but I try.”

  “A detective? That explains why your dog is named Gum Shoe.”

  Caleb rubbed Gum Shoe’s head. “You got it.”

  Van yipped his approval.

  “So you were working the craft fair undercover the entire time? And you work with Pierce?” I asked.

  “Yes, we work together in the police department. And we had suspicions that someone was stealing from other craft fairs. When Evan and Max moved over here, we decided to come by to see if it happened again. Unfortunately, it turned deadly quickly, as you know.”

  “Yes, unfortunately for Evan. I’m just glad Max and Ruth were stopped and no one else was harmed.”

  “I’m glad they’ve been arrested too. Thanks to your amateur sleuthing and your chihuahua.”

  “A girl and her chihuahua have to do what a girl and her chihuahua have to do,” I said.

  Caleb laughed.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t know you were undercover. I should’ve guessed. I’m not much of a detective if I couldn’t figure that out.”

  “Well, I like to think I’m good at my job, and that’s why you didn’t know.” Caleb winked. “By the way, is the ghost from the painting still around?”

  Elizabeth waved her arms through the air, as if guiding in a landing airplane. “I’m here.”

  “She’s still around,” I said with a smile.

  Van barked and wagged his tail. When I looked to my right to see what had caught his attention, I spotted Pierce walking toward us. Pierce briefly shifted his attention to Caleb. I wanted to know what had happened between the two. Behind him, I could see the police place Ruth and Max into the back of a police cruiser.

  Ruth looked right at me as she got into the back seat and said, “Your artwork is horrible.”

  “She’s not a fan,” I said as I looked at Caleb.

  “I wouldn’t worry about her critique,” he said.

  When Pierce reached us, he said, “Do you mind if I talk with Celeste for a minute?”

  Caleb didn’t look as if he was thrilled about the idea, but he said, “I’ll see you in a bit, okay, Celeste?”

  “Sure,” I said.

  Caleb winked at me again before smirking at Pierce. There was something obviously going on between them. I’d like to know what kind of history they had with each other.

  “So, you had quite an eventful day,” Pierce said. I groaned. “Yes, you could say that.”

  “Caleb told you everything?” Pierce gestured toward him with a tilt of his head.

  Caleb had moved over to talk to the other officers, but he glanced over at us every once in a while.

  “I think he told me mostly everything that happened,” I said. “Maybe not everything. I get a sense you guys don’t like each other that much.”

  “I wouldn’t say that at all,” Pierce said.

  Yet he didn’t seem willing to give any details about why they kept giving each other looks like that. It seemed like there was some sort of competition between them. A rivalry. I suppose if they wanted to deal with that, it was none of my business.

  “I was wondering if maybe now that the investigation is over, you’d want to go to dinner with me sometime?” Pierce asked.

  I knew my face must’ve turned red because I felt the heat in my cheeks. I had hoped he would ask me that. I wanted to spend time with him and get to know him a bit better. But I immediately looked over at Caleb. It was as if he knew what Pierce was asking me. I didn’t know what the right thing was to say.

  “Sure, dinner sometime would be gr
eat,” I croaked.

  My phone rang and interrupted Pierce before he could comment. “Just a sec.” I held up my index finger.

  “Celeste, this is your aunt Patsy.”

  “Yes, I have your number programmed in my phone, Aunt Patsy. Your name comes up when you call,” I said. I’d told her this before. She never remembered. So much for her claim of having a memory like an elephant.

  “I remembered where I’ve seen Caleb. He gave me a warning for speeding a few months back. That was nice of him, right? Why didn’t he tell you he was a detective?”

  “I’ll come by for dinner, Aunt Patsy. I have a lot to tell you.”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Many thanks to my family and friends. They embrace my quirkiness. Love you all! Also, thank you to my editor, Michaela Hamilton, and my agent, Jill Marsal.

  Don’t miss the next delightful

  Haunted Craft Fair mystery!

  MURDER CAN CONFUSE YOUR CHIHUAHUA

  Coming soon from Kensington Publishing Corp.

  Keep reading to enjoy a teaser excerpt . . .

  CHAPTER 1

  How would I escape this? I was trapped with no idea how to get out. Where was help when I needed it? My heart rate spiked while my body trembled.

  With shaky hands, I gripped the steering wheel of my 1947 pink Ford F100 truck. I punched the gas pedal, hoping to flee before anyone noticed. Unfortunately, the wheels spun, but the truck, with my pink-and-white Shasta trailer attached to the back, went nowhere. As I gunned the engine, I wondered if I’d caused irreversible damage.

  Vincent van Gogh, my sweet white chihuahua, sat on the seat next to me. He barked, as if telling me I was doing this all wrong.

  “I know, Van, but what else can I do?” I pressed my foot on the pedal again.

  I’d named Van after the famed artist. It wasn’t entirely because of my love of art either. I’d rescued the Chihuahua from the shelter a year ago, and his one floppy ear had inspired the name. We’d been best friends ever since. Van was opinionated, though, and always let me know when I wasn’t doing something to his satisfaction.

  I’d been so close to arriving at my destination, only to be stopped a short distance away. The spot where I’d set up my booth for the annual Farewell Summer Arts and Crafts Fair came into view. Low-hanging clouds covered the Great Smoky Mountaintops in the distance. The open space for the craft fair was surrounded by the dense green landscape, but dots of yellow, orange, and red were forcing their way to the surface.