Crime Chowder

by Hillary Avis

  “Scone?” Fancy asked, and passed a rose-patterned plate across the table.

  “No thanks, we just had lunch,” Bethany said, and nudged the plate toward Charley. The china pinged against the fork at Charley’s place setting. Bethany froze. The noise. “Why didn’t we hear the gunshot?”

  “What?”

  “Why didn’t we hear the gunshot? The one that killed Todd?”

  Charley shrugged. “I don’t know. It was a small gun.”

  “But it happened inside the bell tower, which is designed to amplify noise, not muffle it. Why didn’t we hear it?” Bethany drummed her fingers on the tabletop. “Did you hear it, Fancy?”

  “Me?” Fancy looked taken aback, as though she didn’t expect to be included in the conversation.

  “Yes. You were there, too. Did you hear anything that sounded like a gunshot? Fireworks, a car backfiring, any kind of loud noise?”

  Fancy shook her head. “Only the church bells.”

  Bethany gasped.

  “What?” Charley looked puzzled. “Todd rang the bells, right? So he was alive then.”

  “What if he was shot while he was ringing the bells? And the bells hid the sound of the gun?”

  Charley nodded. “That makes a lot of sense. Nobody saw him after that, right?”

  “Right. It seemed like everyone was looking for him, but no one had seen him. That’s why I was sure he’d gone home to change his clothes! He’s not the type to miss his own party. He must have been laying there, bleeding out, for most of the gala.” Bethany’s hand quivered as she arranged the photographs into a single stack.

  Fancy’s typical pallor took on a green tinge, and she wavered a bit, as though she were about to faint. Charley pushed back her chair and stood up.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. “This isn’t really appropriate talk for teatime. My apologies, Ms. Peters. We got carried away. These photos are so helpful, though. I’m afraid I have to take them into evidence.”

  Fancy nodded, blotting her forehead with a handkerchief. “Be my guest. I have the negatives.”

  Bethany picked up the stack of photographs and handed them to Charley. Turning to Fancy, she said, “Just out of curiosity, why didn’t you take any photos inside the church? I remember you saying you were trying to make a record of the architectural detail, but all the pictures are of the exterior.”

  Fancy put her hand to her chest, her fingertips fluttering. “I did, early on in the evening. Unfortunately, none of the photographs were useful as souvenirs. I only printed the ones I thought would be interesting to tourists.”

  Bethany frowned. “You printed plenty of the food table.”

  Fancy ducked her head apologetically. “Those were for the newspaper. Robin asked me for them.”

  “I’d like to take a look at them,” Charley said. “The interior photos. They may have clues about who was inside the church and when.”

  “I’ll print them for you and drop them by the station.” Fancy motioned weakly. “Shall I see you out?”

  Charley nodded and headed back down the dim hallway to the front door. Bethany followed behind. They stepped out onto the porch, and Charley thanked Fancy for her hospitality.

  But just as she was heading down the steps to the front walk, Bethany turned back to Fancy. “Why don’t you just give Charley—Officer Perez—the negatives right now? It’ll save you a lot of work.”

  “I don’t mind. I’m happy to help.” She smiled and closed the door.

  “She’s strange,” Bethany said as they walked to the car.

  Charley held up the bag of photographs. “But she might have just proven Amara is innocent.”

  Chapter 26

  Friday

  “TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!” Coop said.

  Bethany grinned. To be honest, she’d forgotten about him while she was inside Fancy’s house. She’d been so absorbed by examining the photos that she hadn’t given Coop a second thought.

  “Sorry not sorry,” Charley said, tossing him the bag of photos. “Got these. I think we can put together a solid timeline of everyone’s movements using the photos of the gala. Plus she’s going to bring more by the station.”

  “Today?” Coop asked as he thumbed through the photos. He seemed to have sobered up during his wait in the car.

  Charley shook her head. “She didn’t say when. I’m sure it’ll be today or tomorrow, though.”

  Bethany frowned. It could be longer. And who knows how many nasty articles about me will be printed in the paper by then. “It might be days before she prints the photos—or weeks! I really think you should get the negatives now.”

  “She’s got a point.” Coop twisted in his seat to look at Bethany approvingly.

  “I already told her she could bring them into the station,” Charley said, clearly annoyed. “Just because I’m a junior officer doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m doing!”

  Coop held up his hands defensively. “Fine, no need to jump down my throat. I just want to catch bad guys here.”

  “So do I.” Charley turned the key and slammed the squad car into gear. “I’m taking you home now, Bethany.”

  They were silent for the rest of the ride to the cottage. Charley got out and walked Bethany to the door.

  Bethany put her key in the lock and then paused. “I’m sorry I undermined you in front of Coop.”

  Charley shook her head and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “It’s OK. You weren’t wrong. If Fancy doesn’t bring the pictures in today or tomorrow morning, I’ll go get the negatives from her. Hopefully the pictures will help solve Todd’s murder.”

  “Good luck, Charley.” Bethany turned the key and pushed open the door.

  “Wait.” Charley glanced over her shoulder at the squad car. Coop wasn’t looking their direction. He was bouncing and shaking his shoulders and bopping his head. Charley rolled her eyes. “Must have the radio on. Anyway, could you tell Kimmy something for me when you see her again?”

  Bethany nodded. “Sure.”

  “Tell her I’m doing everything I can to solve both these crimes. I’m convinced that Amara didn’t commit arson or murder, but it might take a little while to convince everyone else.”

  Bethany nodded again. “I understand. I’ll tell her.”

  Chapter 27

  Friday

  KIMMY POPPED A CHEETO in her mouth. “Guess what! I talked to Olive. She said she was very interested in having you work at the bakery.”

  Bethany winced. “I know she’s your friend and everything, but it’s only a counter job. I really want to cook.”

  “That’s just it! She hadn’t really considered hiring a real chef, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized she could use help with the baking as well as the counter. So she wanted me to tell you that if you want to bake, she’ll make the position fifty-fifty.”

  “Wow, really? How nice of her.”

  Kimmy nodded. “Nice is the name of her game. You should go down and apply for real.”

  “But it’s still only for the summer, right? And part-time.” Bethany sighed. “I guess something is better than nothing—and I do want to learn how to bake. Do you think Olive’s heard what people are saying about me? She might not want that kind of attention for the Honor Roll.”

  “She heard, but she doesn’t believe the gossip. Plus, I’m vouching for you, and she’s known me since I was a kid. You should go talk to her in the morning. The bakery’s open on Saturdays even though the train station is closed. You want ice cream?” Kimmy asked as she headed for the kitchen. Bethany nodded, and Kimmy got out two bowls. She retrieved a tub of from the freezer and jammed a spoon into the top of the chocolate ice cream. It wouldn’t budget even when she leaned on the spoon with all her weight.

  “Maybe give that a minute to thaw.” Bethany grinned. “I meant to say—you know Charley, the cop? She wanted me to tell you that she doesn’t think Amara killed Todd.”

  Kimmy stopped in mid-scoop. “She doesn’t? She actually sa
id that?”

  “Yup. She said she is working as hard as she can to find the real criminals, and she wanted you to know. I think she likes you.”

  Kimmy rolled her eyes. “She’s literally doing her job. Do you want people thinking you have the hots for them because you make them a good bowl of chowder?”

  “I dunno. She waited until we were out of earshot of her partner to say it. It’d be like me taking a diner aside to say, ‘Hey, tell your friend I made sure to slice her tomato perfectly.’ It’s not normal.”

  Kimmy wrestled the ice cream into submission and returned to the couch with two bowls and two spoons. She handed one to Bethany and sank into the sofa with a sigh of relief. “Why do you think she told you that, then? I mean, besides your ridiculous theory about her interest in me. She must be pretty confident about Auntie’s innocence.”

  “Well, first off, Fancy’s photos put Todd at Amara’s house on Sunday evening. It’s looking likely that he is the one who set the fire. We also were able to piece together a rough timeline of what happened at the gala using photos of the food service table. It’s pretty clear that Amara didn’t leave the table until late in the party, when Todd was already—well, you know.” Bethany soothed the lump in her through with an extra-large spoonful of ice cream.

  “Maybe we should crack open some champagne to go with this!” Kimmy grinned.

  Hard to feel celebratory when Todd’s murderer is still at large.

  Bethany gave a half-hearted smile. “Let’s save the champagne for when Charley finds the real killer.”

  Kimmy put her hand on Bethany’s arm. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I know this must be tough for you, too.”

  Bethany nodded and scooped up the last couple bites of her ice cream. “Yum. That was just what I needed. You done?”

  Kimmy gobbled the dregs of her bowl and handed it to Bethany, who took the dishes to the sink.

  “Did Charley say when Auntie can come home?’

  “No, not yet. First they have to figure out who had the opportunity to kill Todd. They’re going to make a detailed outline of everyone’s movements at the gala using the photos Fancy gave us, plus some more she hasn’t printed yet. They’re of the interior of the church, and Charley thinks there could be something on them.”

  “Did they get the negatives?”

  Bethany shook her head. “She’s going to print them some copies. Charley said if she doesn’t bring them to the station by tomorrow morning, she’ll go ask for the negatives.”

  Kimmy’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. “Do you trust her?”

  “To get the negatives? Of course, that’s her job.”

  “I mean Fancy, not Charley. You haven’t seen the other film, right? Anything could be on it. What if she destroys it? Or doesn’t print all the photos?”

  Bethany tilted her head. “Charley trusts her, I guess. And she seems pretty wimpy to have murdered Todd. She didn’t even have the stomach for our conversation about it.”

  “Even if she didn’t, maybe it was someone she knew, though. Someone she liked and wanted to protect. She might try to help them by destroying the evidence.”

  Dread crept up Bethany’s spine. She didn’t want to believe Kimmy’s theory, but she had to admit that it wasn’t crazy, either. If Fancy realized that Todd had burned down Amara’s house to get the development approved, she’d have been furious—maybe even angry enough to look the other way when someone wanted him dead.

  “We have to go get those negatives right now,” Kimmy said, sitting up straight. “If the negatives disappear, so does Auntie’s chance at being proven innocent.”

  “Slow down. What’s you’re suggesting is illegal! We can’t just break in and take stuff, even if it’s evidence of a crime.”

  “It’s worth it if it means Auntie doesn’t spend the rest of her life in jail.” Kimmy stuck out her jaw stubbornly. “I’m going. You can come with me or you can stay here—your choice.”

  Bethany sighed. “I’m coming with you—if only to keep you out of jail.”

  Chapter 28

  Friday

  KIMMY PARKED THE HONDA across the street and a few houses down from Fancy’s teal gingerbread Victorian. “And I thought the swan porch was bad,” she muttered under her breath.

  “I’m sure those colors are period.” Bethany grinned and scratched Sharky behind the ears. “We can watch her place from here. The negatives are definitely in the darkroom, so as long as she doesn’t go in there, we know they’re safe. In the morning, we’ll accidentally run into her as she’s going out to print the photos and ask if she’ll show us how she does it.”

  “What if she does go in there tonight? Then what?”

  “Then we’ll release the hounds!” Bethany grinned and pretended to open the car door for Sharky.

  “Seriously. She might have already damaged them, or thrown them away. She might be in there right now!”

  “Look.” Bethany pointed up at a second-story window on Fancy’s house. A figured was silhouetted behind lace curtains. “She’s headed to bed. That means we can go to bed and come back at the crack of dawn to make sure she turns over all the negatives to the police. We can even call Charley to come with us. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind seeing you.”

  Kimmy pursed her lips. “I’d rather stay here. Just to be sure.”

  “Fine.” Bethany sighed. Sharky whined and pawed at the door. “No. Lay down.”

  Sharky stared at her belligerently and pawed at the door again.

  “Stop it! Be a good boy.”

  Sharky launched himself at the door handle in one final desperate attempt to get out, and to Bethany’s horror, it succeeded. The door opened a crack, just large enough for a medium-sized chihuahua to jump out of the car and run down the street.

  Bethany and Kimmy both stared at each other, frozen, and then leaped out of the car after the dog. Sharky yipped a them and ran a little farther toward Fancy’s house, stopping to raise a leg and pee on a shrub out front.

  “Sharky, come!” Kimmy hissed, patting her knees. Sharky looked over his shoulder at her, but kept running in the opposite direction.

  Bethany scrambled in the backseat of the car for his leash. “Sharky? Want to go on a walkie with Bethany?” She shook the leash so the clip jangled. Sharky skidded to a halt and his ears perked up. She shook it again. “Walkie time?”

  She took a few steps toward him, smiling and holding out the leash. He barked and scampered a few yards toward her, then eyed her suspiciously.

  “Let’s go for a walk!”

  He leaped joyfully and bolted toward her. When he reached her, she caught his collar with her left hand and deftly attached the leash with her right, then let out a huge sigh of relief and sat down on the sidewalk next to the dog.

  “Oh, thank god,” Kimmy said, still loud-whispering. “You got him.” She took the leash out of Bethany’s hand and started for the car.

  Bethany waved her hands to stop her. “Wait. You have to actually take him on a walk now, or next time he won’t come to you. Dog training 101.”

  Kimmy raised an eyebrow skeptically. “How do you know so much about dog training?”

  Bethany giggled. “A dog training program hosted by that guy Alvar Alcomb comes on right after my favorite cooking show. Guilty pleasure.”

  “Is he the one that People Magazine voted Sexiest Man Alive last year?”

  “Yup. That’s the one. Sexiest celebrity dog trainer alive.”

  Kimmy grinned. “No wonder you didn’t turn off the TV.” She glanced down the road toward Fancy’s house. “I guess I’ll just take Sharky on a little spin, then.”

  “No! You’re not doing what I think you’re doing...”

  Kimmy blinked innocently. “I’m just taking my little dog for a walk like you told me to.”

  Darn you, Alvar Alcomb. And you, too, Sharky. Bethany scrambled to her feet and trotted after Kimmy toward Fancy’s house.

  “Listen, you can’t steal evidence! It could make it inadmissib
le in court. You need a warrant and stuff.” Bethany jogged to catch up.

  “Just because you got into law school doesn’t mean you’re suddenly a legal expert.” Kimmy gave her the side-eye and pulled out her phone. She selected a number and put the phone to her ear. “Hi, Charley? This is Kimmy Caldwell. Fine, thanks. I was wondering—if a civilian performs a search of private property, does he or she need a search warrant for any evidence found to be admissible in court? Oh, no, of course I wouldn’t. I’m just curious. Thank you.”

  She ended the call and turned triumphantly to Bethany. “Trespassing is illegal, but it doesn’t make evidence inadmissible. So there. I’m going to get those negatives.” She checked to make sure the street was clear and headed across Fancy’s lawn toward the darkroom shed, Sharky at her heels.

  “Stop!” Bethany yell-whispered, but Kimmy didn’t even glance in her direction, so she ran to catch up. “At least hear me out. I know where Fancy keeps the key. We can go in, look at the negatives, make sure they’re all there, then leave. We are not going to steal stuff. You know Amara would kill you herself if you did, and I’ll tell her!”

  “It’s not fair to use her against me!” Kimmy put her hands on her hips. “Anyway, what if Fancy destroys them after we look at them?”

  “If there’s anything in the negatives, we’ll take pictures of them, OK?”

  Kimmy nodded. “Fine. Where’s the key?”

  Bethany pointed to a flowerbed near the entrance to the darkroom. “Under the little squirrel statue.”

  Kimmy bent to lift the statue and find the key. After she replaced the squirrel in its original position, Sharky lifted his leg and peed on it. “Nice,” she said, and patted him on the head. He immediately began digging in the flowerbed, sending a spray of dirt flying out behind him.

  Bethany looked up at the second-story windows on Fancy’s house. The windows were dark now. Fancy must have gone to bed. Kimmy unlocked the darkroom door and started to go inside, but Bethany put her hand on her arm.