When Magic Is Murder (Sky High Pies Cozy Mysteries Book 4)

by Mary Maxwell

  “Please,” I said. “Then I can forward them to Dina if there’s anything significant.”

  “There is,” Connie said. “And I’m so sick to my stomach about this, Katie.”

  I’d never been in a similar position, but I could imagine how it would feel. I suggested that Connie stay put for the time being.

  “When Dina gets the news,” I told her, “I imagine that her investigation will accelerate.”

  After we talked through a few more details, Connie said she was going to the cocktail lounge for a sangria as soon as she talked to Dina.

  “Don’t go wild over there,” I said, hoping to elicit a laugh.

  “I won’t,” she promised. “I just need to—”

  My laptop chimed as Connie’s email arrived.

  “—take the edge off a little bit, Katie. You know what I mean?”

  “Sure, of course. I don’t see how one drink can hurt.”

  The email had three attachments. Each one included an individual event order for the bachelorette party and two birthday celebrations that were scheduled for Crescent Creek Lodge the day that Alec Halstead died.

  “Did you get my note?” Connie asked.

  “I did. And I’m looking at the details for the McAllister birthday party.”

  “Sheila was so excited about surprising her husband,” Connie commented. “But then it all went south. There’s nothing wrong with the VFW Hall, but it’s not exactly the coziest place for an intimate birthday bash.”

  “I’m sure Sheila and her husband understood it was out of your hands,” I said.

  Connie sighed. “Everyone did. But I still hated to see them disappointed.”

  As she recounted a conversation she had with the woman from New Orleans who was hosting the bachelorette party, I noticed someone’s initials beside a hand-written change on one of the event orders. They were small and faint, like wisps of fog in the distance. But when I enlarged the image on my computer, I suspected that I knew who had been responsible for Alec Halstead’s death.

  “Connie?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you see the initials on that one event order?” I asked. “There beside the original dessert item?”

  “Oh, my…” She gasped lightly. “Well, that’s most definitely not Shannon’s handwriting, Katie, so maybe it’s a mistake of some sort. And, besides, I’m sure that our guests didn’t mind the—”

  “Sorry to interrupt,” I said as delicately as possible, “but I definitely need to talk to Dina now.”

  She sputtered a few more words regarding the bride’s disappointment about the party being moved from the Lodge to Luigi’s. And then she said the woman had called the next morning to say that all was forgiven.

  “Can you believe that?” Connie asked. “She forgave me for the fact that someone died at my hotel? After being so rude and surly that night?”

  “Well, it was a stressful situation for everyone,” I said, studying the event order on my laptop screen. “Now, why don’t you go have that sangria? I need to find Detective Kincaid and bring her up to speed on everything we just discussed.”

  CHAPTER 38

  Dina looked up from her desk with the kind of greeting that confirms you picked a bad time to drop by unannounced. As I came through her office door and slipped into one of the guest chairs, she closed the cover on a thick case file and reached for a coffee mug on the desk.

  “If you’re here with anything that isn’t good news,” she groaned, “please turn around and go bother someone else.”

  “No, it’s the exact opposite,” I said, trying to sound upbeat and optimistic. “I was going to call, but thought it might be better to tell you in person. I think I’ve got something that could wrap up your Alec Halstead investigation tonight.”

  “That is music to my ears!” Dina gushed, sipping her coffee. “My brain is fried.”

  “But I can always talk to you later,” I said, pulling out the notes I’d scribbled back in my office at Sky High. “I know it’s been a—”

  “No way,” she said. “I’ve been in a locked room for the past three hours with a guy who reeked of rotten fish, body odor and cigarette smoke. It’s just refreshing to be able to smell again.” She took a long, slow breath. “What’s that you’re wearing?”

  I smiled. “It’s called Intenso, but it’s a man’s cologne.”

  “Is that what Zack wears?”

  I shook my head.

  “Oh, no,” she said sadly. “Is there trouble in paradise?”

  The question curled around my brain for a second. “Why would you ask that?”

  “Well, you know,” Dina said. “You’ve got the residual trace of a man’s cologne on you. And if it isn’t Zack…” She shrugged. “Then I just thought—“”

  “It’s Reverend Tuttle’s new fragrance,” I said. “He got from his sister as a birthday gift. When he stopped by Sky High this afternoon, he gave me a big hug.”

  Dina sat up in her chair and pushed a few loose strands of hair from her eyes. “You know what, Katie? You’re a grown woman. Whatever you and Reverend Tuttle have going on is—”

  “Hold it right there!” I cried. “There’s nothing going on between me and Reverend Tuttle. He gave me a hug as he left Sky High. I guess some of his cologne rubbed off on my sweater.”

  She tittered and rolled her eyes. “I knew there wasn’t anything going on,” she said. “I just wanted to give you a hard time.”

  “Thanks, but there are a ton of people way ahead of you for that little chore.”

  Dina’s phone vibrated on the desk. She glanced at the display, tapped the screen and muttered something about her brother.

  “Okay, so…” She pushed the phone away and smiled. “What was this idea you had?”

  “Right. That’s where we were before you dragged poor Reverend Tuttle through the mud.”

  She laughed and drummed her fingers on the desk. “Okay, Katie. Let me hear your genius plan.”

  “It’s not genius,” I said. “But I think it’s pretty solid.”

  For the next few minutes, I reviewed the clues and evidence that had surfaced during the past two days. Then I explained my theory about what had happened to Alec Halstead. And then I suggested that we drive over to Crescent Creek Lodge for a little chat with Connie, Eloise and Jasper.

  “We’re looking for motive, means and opportunity, right?”

  Dina glared at me. “What is this, Katie? Forensics 101?”

  I smiled. “I’m just trying to cover all the bases,” I said.

  She drank more coffee. “Okay, sure,” she agreed, carefully putting the mug back on her desk. “Motive, means and opportunity. What’s the motive?”

  “Revenge,” I said.

  Her eyes widened. “Really? You think a married husband was jealous enough to kill Alec Halstead?”

  I shook my head.

  “What then?” Dina said. “One of his ex-girlfriends?”

  I didn’t say anything.

  “But you truly believe it was revenge?”

  “Yes, I do. But I also think there’s a chance the killer didn’t actually intend to succeed.”

  Dina sipped from the mug again. “I’m intrigued, Katie. And a little wary. Do you think it was…some type of twisted game?”

  “Not a game exactly,” I answered. “But I’d agree with the fact that it was a twisted attempt to get Alec Halstead’s attention.”

  After finishing the coffee, she put the mug down and waited for me to continue the roundabout explanation.

  “Based on whatever you’ve uncovered and the things I learned in Boulder,” I began, “it would seem that the person responsible for Alec Halstead’s death knew that he suffered from oral allergy syndrome. They knew that eating plums, pears or peaches would trigger a severe allergic reaction. But what they didn’t—”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Dina said. “But can you please explain why you’re telling me things we already know? And how that’s going to finish this up tonig
ht?”

  I smiled. “I think if we get everyone in the same room,” I explained, “the guilty party will tie up the last loose ends for you on the spot.”

  As Dina drank her coffee and nodded silently, I explained my revenge theory. When I finished the review of evidence and my suspicions about the guilty party—especially the initials changing the desserts on the event order, Dina pushed her chair back from the desk.

  “I think you’re right,” she said. “It’s time to have a little chat with Connie and her cousins. While you’ve been exploring one theory and talking to the folks in Boulder, we’ve collected some unquestionable evidence that I believe dovetails quite nicely with your premise. Want to meet me at the Lodge in about a half hour?”

  CHAPTER 39

  Connie Larson was waiting outside the front entrance at Crescent Creek Lodge when I arrived shortly before seven. Her arms were folded across her chest and the expression on her face was rooted in shock and doubt.

  “Is this even happening?” she sputtered nervously as I approached the front steps. “Dina told me that she’s figured out who is responsible for what happened to the magician.”

  I nodded solemnly. “The evidence seems to point in one direction,” I said. “Is she already inside?”

  Connie gestured toward the door. “In my office with Eloise and Jasper. She asked me to wait out here for you.”

  I followed Connie into the lobby. The man behind the front desk glanced up briefly, but averted his eyes quickly.

  “Everyone knows what’s going on,” Connie whispered. “Word spread quickly after Eloise started crying in the kitchen when she heard Dina wanted to talk to her again.”

  We walked in silence across the reception area, down the hallway and around the corner. Amanda Crane and Denny Santiago stood outside Connie’s office. Their Crescent Creek PD uniforms added an even more somber tone to the atmosphere. As I approached, Amanda nodded and Denny touched the brim of his hat with one hand.

  “Evening,” I said. “Is Dina ready for us?”

  Amanda opened the door without saying anything and stepped to the side. I followed Connie into her office, sensing the crackle of nervous energy in the air.

  “Ah, Katie!” said Dina, getting up from the edge of the desk. “Thank you for coming.”

  There was a commanding edge in her voice, the sort of subtle tone that elicits respect and compliance. I scanned the room quickly. Jasper was slumped in one of the guest chairs in front of the desk. Eloise sat at the end of the sofa on the far wall, a grim, vacant expression on her face and a can of Coke in her hands. Neither one acknowledged my arrival; their eyes were fixed on Dina.

  “Okay, Kate?” She waited until I glanced across the room. “Would you mind sitting over there with Eloise?” One hand pointed at the vacant spot on the opposite end of the sofa. “And Connie? Why don’t you go ahead and sit behind your desk?”

  I walked to the pale peach sofa and took my position. The room smelled of coffee and furniture polish with a faint trace of garlic. I guessed it was from Jasper; he was wearing a chef’s coat and apron, so Dina probably interrupted him in the kitchen when she arrived.

  After everyone was settled, Dina took a deep breath, gave me one last nod and launched into an introduction that she’d probably delivered more times than she could remember in meetings under similar circumstances.

  “First of all, thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” she said in a warm, friendly tone. “It’s been a difficult few days for everyone, and I appreciate your willingness to help with our investigation.”

  Connie shifted nervously in her chair. “We’re all dying of curiosity,” she said. “Can you please explain why you wanted to talk to the three of us again?”

  Dina lifted her chin slightly. “Because I’d like to give the person responsible for Alec’s death a chance to confess.”

  The declaration instantly changed the mood in the room, replacing the nervous buzz of inquisitiveness with an arctic chill. I kept my eyes on Dina before slowly turning to glance around at the others. Eloise had one hand clamped tightly over her mouth, like she was fighting not to cry. Connie’s face had gone white with the dismayed expression of someone who can’t believe what they’ve just heard. And Jasper leaned forward in his chair, elbows planted firmly on his knees.

  “What’s this about anyway?” Eloise suddenly asked in a low, shaky voice. “Did you find out who attacked the dead guy or something?”

  Dina cleared her throat and nodded. “Actually, we don’t believe that he was attacked. At least, not in the traditional sense.”

  “What?” Eloise stared blankly. “I don’t see…I mean, like what’re you even talking about?”

  Connie tossed an anxious smile at her cousin. “Hon? Why don’t you let Detective Kincaid tell us what they know? I’m sure she’ll answer—”

  “She just said he wasn’t attacked,” Eloise hissed. “But I saw his head. And I saw the blood everywhere.”

  Connie clenched her teeth and repeated her hint that Eloise let Dina do the talking. For a long, awkward moment, I pictured Eloise lurching up from the sofa and across the room with both hands aiming for her cousin’s throat. Instead, after exchanging a silent glance with Jasper, she shifted further back into the sofa.

  “Okay then,” she said, sounding a bit calmer. “I’ll just sit here and listen.”

  “Thank you,” Dina said. “I know this is a very uncomfortable situation, but I appreciate your patience and time this evening.”

  “Like we had a choice,” Jasper murmured.

  Connie gasped softly. “Jasper?”

  He grunted. “Sorry. I just don’t understand why we’re going through all of this again. We both already told you everything we know.”

  Dina reached for a folder on Connie’s desk. “Actually,” she said, opening the file. “I don’t think that’s quite correct, Mr. Turner.”

  Jasper grumbled again, but I couldn’t make out what he said.

  “First of all,” Dina continued, “we received a tip about your backpack.” She paused, as if giving Jasper a chance to question the statement. When he kept his eyes on the floor, she went on. “And after my colleague came over to the hotel about a half hour ago, do you know what he found inside?”

  Jasper looked up. “You talking to me?”

  Dina nodded. “Yes, Mr. Turner. Do you know what my colleague found in your backpack?”

  “Beats me.” Jasper’s chin jutted up. “Just my stuff for work probably, aprons and chef hats and whatever.”

  Dina waited until he finished. Then she said, “Actually, he found what we believe to be Mr. Halstead’s missing glove. Our techs will examine it in the lab for touch DNA, but it appears to be a match for the one Mr. Halstead was wearing when he was found in the gazebo.”

  “Am I supposed to know who that is?” Jasper snarled defiantly. “Because I never heard that name and there’s nobody working here named Halston.”

  “It’s Halstead,” Dina said in a clear, crisp tone. “And I believe you know exactly who I’m talking about.”

  Eloise inched forward on the sofa. “Jasper?” she whispered, putting the soda can on the coffee table.

  Her brother ignored the question. He kept his eyes on Dina, glaring as she stood and began to slowly circle the room.

  “We also obtained a copy of the event order from that night,” Dina continued. “With your initials beside a change in the dessert for the bachelorette party.”

  Jasper laughed. “That’s bull! It wasn’t my idea.”

  Eloise lurched to her feet. “Shut your mouth, Jasper! Stop lying about what you did!”

  The outburst from the diminutive young woman happened so quickly that it felt like a dream, as if I was watching the exchange through a hazy veil of sleep instead of in Connie’s office at Crescent Creek Lodge.

  “Me?” Jasper yelped. “It was your idea, Wheezy. I only went along with it because I wanted you to be happy for once.”

  After making the puzz
ling remark, Jasper got up from where he’d been sitting and moved toward the door.

  “Take a seat, Mr. Turner,” Dina said firmly. “We’re far from being finished here.”

  Jasper reached for the handle and began to turn it when Connie suddenly bolted across the office, pressed her hand against the door and leaned forward with all of her weight.

  “You’re not going anywhere!” she hissed. “Except back to that chair!”

  As I watched the surreal scene unfold, my heart thudded wildly in my chest. I glanced quickly at Dina, but her eyes were locked on Jasper. For a few seconds, it wasn’t clear what would happen next. I imagined the unruly chef suddenly pushing his cousin away from the door in a vain attempt to flee. Since two uniformed officers were in the corridor, I knew that wouldn’t end well. I also pictured him spinning around and lashing out violently at everyone else in the room, particularly his sister.

  But in the end, after holding the same awkward position for several anxious moments—one hand on the brass knob, the other in midair—Jasper slowly lowered his arms and backed away from the door. His breathing was erratic and rapid, the propulsive panting of someone after a huge wave of adrenaline has raced through their body. His eyes flicked around the room from one face to the next, as if he was hoping to find an explanation in our expressions.

  “Can we continue?” Dina said quietly after Jasper made his way across the room and sat down.

  “Maybe it was a robbery or something,” he suggested in a faint whisper. “Those kinds of things happen all the time.”

  “True,” Dina said. “But we found the man’s wallet later. It had a large amount of cash and several credit cards, so the idea that someone tried to rob him doesn’t really hold water. It looks more like his things were intentionally discarded in an attempt to delay his identification.”

  “I can explain some of what happened,” Eloise said. “Beginning with—”

  “Don’t say a word!” Jasper shouted. “They can’t prove anything!

  CHAPTER 40

  One corner of Dina’s mouth quivered slightly as she slowly turned to face Jasper.