A Fatal Fabergé

by Ellery Adams

  The din of voices around them was getting louder. Waitstaff were bantering with customers, a local radio station was playing rock music over speakers in the ceiling, and kitchen cooks were barking out orders ready for pickup. Clara leaned toward Molly, raising her voice to be heard.

  “I can certainly understand why Natasha would give her sister the money to help keep them going,” she said. “What I don’t understand is why she would agree to sell the Fabergé egg, an irreplaceable family heirloom with great sentimental value.”

  “Something must have prompted it.” Molly drank her coffee and looked toward the kitchen, hoping their breakfast would soon be coming out. She was hungry. “Maybe Galina told her she’d finally had enough of Curtis and was going to get a divorce, but she needed money.” She saw their waitress grab a couple of plates off the counter. “The egg was in the safe, not doing anything but gathering dust. They could sell it and never even notice it was gone.”

  “They’d also be breaking the promise they’d made to keep it in the family.” Their waitress headed over to their table and set their plates down in front of them. When she’d gone, Clara said, “Are you sure Maxim is being honest with you?”

  Molly sprinkled salt and pepper on her eggs. “About what, specifically?”

  “That he doesn’t know anything about his mother’s hiding place, and when he went looking for the egg with his father, they didn’t find it.”

  “Of course he could be lying, but why would he tell me about it in the first place?” She took a bite of her eggs. Nice and creamy, the way she liked them. “What’s the point?”

  “Natasha might not be the only one with a guilty conscience in that family. If Maxim found the egg, Curtis could have pulled on his heartstrings to make him agree to stay quiet about it.”

  “Curtis did tell him it was his mother’s idea to sell the egg.” Molly sipped her coffee. “I can almost hear him saying: ‘Don’t tell your aunt we’ve found it; it’s what your mother wanted.’ But Maxim seems like such a decent, honest young man, and I can’t think he’d keep the egg from Natasha. Besides, if Maxim and Curtis had found the egg, wouldn’t Curtis have told Noble Dyson? Six million dollars could have been his. There’s simply no advantage in telling me about it.”

  Clara cut into her omelet. “Do you think the Fabergé egg is connected to Curtis’s death?”

  “I’m convinced it is, Ma. I just don’t know the who, or how, or why exactly.”

  “Curtis might not have gotten back in touch with Dyson if he was afraid he was being scammed,” Clara said. “Here’s this strange man who comes into his shop, offering him all this money, but he’s never seen him before and had no prior contact, because that was Galina’s role. I could see how he might want to be cautious.”

  “Good point.” Molly took a bite of bacon. It was perfectly crispy. “I wonder if he told Felix about Dyson’s visit. After all, Felix was the intermediary. He might be able to confirm who Dyson was. Although I’m not sure how he could do it since the buyer shut down all communication.”

  “Would you like to know who I suspect killed Curtis?”

  “Absolutely. Go for it.”

  Her mother was on a roll, which was far better than having her on a rampage against her investigating Curtis’s death.

  “Of everyone you’ve talked to, I think Felix has the strongest motive,” Clara said. “Not only because of Galina, but because of Natasha, considering his long history with the family.”

  “I’ve had the same thought,” Molly said. “If Hattie was telling the truth, he knew he had to be loyal to the Gordons, just like his mother. And if he thought Curtis had the egg, or was going to sell it, he could’ve killed him to stop him, because he felt it was his duty to protect Natasha.” She drank more coffee and took another bite of her eggs. “There’s one other person I’d like to talk to. He’s an old friend of Curtis’s. He might not have anything to do with the egg, but Lombardi told me he got into a fight with him at a bar last year, and I’d like to know more about it.”

  “If you’re talking about Joey Blair, Tony said he spoke to him at Precision Auto, and he was a dead-end.”

  Molly was amazed. Her mother knew more than she did. Lombardi hadn’t told her anything about his interview of Joey Blair. “Well, I’d like to go see him anyway and form my own opinion,” she said, feeling stubborn.

  Clara held her mug out over the table to the aisle. Their waitress was rushing in their direction, carrying a plate in one hand and the carafe in the other. She skidded to a stop and topped off Clara’s coffee before racing off. Molly knew if she’d tried that maneuver, the waitress would have sailed right past her. No one ever ignored Clara.

  “If you’re going to talk to him,” Clara said, “I’m going with you.”

  “Why? You just told me Lombardi thinks he’s a dead-end. He’ll probably turn out to be a dud.”

  “Joey kidnapped Felix. That doesn’t sound very duddy to me.”

  “Yeah, almost thirty years ago.”

  “So? He could still be dangerous, given he had that fistfight with Curtis not too long ago. I want to make sure you’re safe.”

  “You worry about me too much,” Molly said. “I can handle Joey Blair.”

  Clara sighed. “If you would stick to writing about antiques, I could live my life worry-free. But you don’t stick to writing about antiques, you’re like a hound dog with your nose to the ground, sniffing out murderers. I’d feel better if you’d let me go with you.” She smiled. “I’ll be your backup.”

  Molly thought it was sweet how her mother wanted to watch over her like a mother hen. But as far as being her backup, she didn’t look the part. She looked like she’d stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. Her only weapon, a Coach satchel bag.

  “Okay, you can come with me,” Molly said. “But make sure you bring your purse.”

  Chapter 18

  Molly used the map app on her phone to find the address for Precision Auto. On the way there, Clara said, “I wonder if we should call Tony to let him know what we’re doing.”

  Molly glanced at her. “I don’t think so, Ma. It’s better that we stay on parallel tracks as much as we can. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize his investigation. This way, I’m just doing my own thing.”

  Precision Auto had four auto bays, and they were all occupied. Molly and Clara went into the office, which had a large window overlooking the bay and a connecting door. A woman with a small child in a stroller was in front of a standing desk being handed back her car keys. She thanked the man behind the desk, and Molly held the door open for her. She knew what it was like to have her hands full with a baby in a stroller.

  The man smiled at them. He wore a gray Precision Auto uniform, without a name tag. His hair was dark but sprinkled with gray, and he had a rough, ruddy complexion.

  “Can I help you ladies?”

  “I’d like to speak to Joey Blair,” Molly said. “Is he here today?”

  His eyes narrowed slightly. “Who’s asking?”

  “I’m Molly Appleby, and this is my mother, Clara Appleby.” Molly handed him one of her business cards. “I’m writing an article about Curtis Cobb. I’ve been told Joey was a friend of his, and I’d like to ask him some questions about him.”

  He handed her back her card. “I’m Joey. And yeah, we were friends, but I don’t want to talk about Curtis again. I did all my talking to a cop yesterday.”

  Molly tried to persuade him. “I’m writing the article about Curtis for my magazine, as a favor to his son, Maxim. He’s filled with grief, after losing his mother recently, and now his father. I was hoping you could tell me something about Curtis. I’m trying to get as much background information on him as possible, to make it a human-interest story.”

  “Like I said, I already talked to the police.”

  “Yes, but I’m not the police, Joey. I’m a reporter. I want to know about Curtis’s struggles with his shop, how he handled the death of his wife, and what kind of f
riend and father he was. You’ve known him a long time, haven’t you?”

  Joey blew out his breath. “Okay, yeah.” He ran a hand through his hair. It looked like it had some kind of pomade in it, or maybe, Molly thought, it was grease from working on the cars. “I knew Curtis a long time. We met in high school, on the wrestling team. Curtis was the new kid in town, and I invited him to hang out with me and my friends.”

  “Did everyone like him?”

  “Not everyone. Curtis had an attitude. Always thought he was smarter and better than everyone else. It didn’t go over well with the guys. The girls didn’t seem to care. They’d follow him around like lovesick puppies.”

  “Did you know he started going steady with Galina freshman year?”

  “Yeah, but they kept it quiet. They were afraid if her parents found out, they’d put a stop to it.”

  The adults, except Peggy, might have been oblivious, Molly thought. But she was beginning to think all the kids in their class probably knew. “What did you think of their relationship?”

  “Me? I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t surprised he wanted to date the richest girl in town. Curtis was smart, but he was lazy. He told me once all he wanted to do was marry Galina and not have to work too hard. I guess that’s why he worked for his father. That bookstore was a snooze-fest.”

  “Did you know that after he married Galina, her parents cut her out of their will?”

  He looked at Molly. “You know about that?”

  “Yes. I also know you helped him kidnap Felix, leaving him naked in the woods, because he told Galina she should think twice before she married him. Which, in retrospect, seems like it was pretty good advice.”

  Joey made a face. “Did Hattie the cat tell you?”

  “No. Hattie Mills didn’t tell me. It was Felix.”

  “Oh.” Joey scratched his nose. “Well, he deserved it. What was Curtis supposed to do? Let it go? He had to retaliate. Besides, we didn’t really hurt him. Just roughed him up a little. Curtis did it to teach him a lesson. He told him he needed to start showing him some respect as Galina’s husband, or else.”

  “Or else what?”

  Joey looked blank. “Ah, I don’t know. It was a threat, to scare him, that’s all.”

  “Why did you call Hattie a cat?”

  He curled his fingers and raked them in the air, mimicking invisible claws. “Meow. That’s what I mean. Hattie has a well-earned reputation for gossiping and spreading rumors.”

  “She told me a friend of Curtis’s from college stood up for him at his wedding. Do you know who that person is?”

  “She said that?” He shook his head. “Guess she doesn’t remember me. And I didn’t go to college with Curtis. I went to a vocational school to be a mechanic. It’s a good living, too,” he said, sounding defensive.

  Clara said, “I’m sure it is. A good mechanic is worth his or her weight in gold.”

  “Darn right,” he said.

  Molly said, “Since you stood up for Curtis, I assume that means you were happy for him and Galina, and you didn’t see any problem with them marrying?”

  “I, ah, wouldn’t go that far,” he said. “I told Curtis he should think about it, maybe wait a few years.”

  “Why? Did you have something against Galina?”

  “No. She was all right. I just thought they were both too young. I said, play the field, have some fun. He said he knew what he was doing and I should mind my own business. I never brought it up again.”

  “How was Curtis, after Galina died? Was he having a hard time dealing with her death?”

  “Like I told the cop, I haven’t seen him since the funeral. I did call him a couple of times to check on him. He told me he was doing all right, was busy with the shop and didn’t have time to talk. He didn’t even want to get together for a beer. Of course, I knew Hattie had moved in with him, so I figured she was keeping him under her thumb.”

  “Why do you put it that way?”

  “Because she always wanted to get her claws into him. Everyone knew it.”

  “Did Galina know?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know how she couldn’t. Hattie was always flirting with Curtis.”

  “Why do you think Galina was friends with her?”

  “How should I know? Maybe she felt sorry for her, because all the other girls steered clear of her.”

  This was a new revelation, Molly thought. She hadn’t gotten the impression that Hattie was some kind of outcast when she was young.

  “Have you seen Hattie lately?”

  “No.” He paused. “Wait. I take that back. I did see her, must’ve been about three weeks ago. I was out to lunch with my girlfriend at Pigs Fly, that new barbeque place that opened. You been there?”

  “Not yet,” Molly said.

  “Well, you should both go. The food is good, real good. Anyway, she was with some guy, definitely not Curtis, in case you’re wondering. He was wearing a suit and tie, and had a briefcase with him. I thought he looked like a lawyer, but I could be wrong.”

  “Maybe they were on a date?”

  “Doubt it. They were having a serious conversation. Didn’t look cozy at all.”

  Joey drummed his fingers on the countertop. He was getting impatient.

  “Tell me about the fight you got into with Curtis last year,” she said. “What was that about?”

  He looked at her. “How do you know about that?”

  “I’m a nosy reporter,” she said. “People tell me things.”

  “Yeah, I guess they do.”

  “So, what happened between you and Curtis? Why the fight?”

  “It was a stupid argument over a ball game,” he said. “It wasn’t my fault. Curtis was a Yankees fan. He hated the Red Sox, and he was mouthing off about them, which is never a good idea when you’re in a crowded bar in New England. People were getting sick of it, and some tough guys were about to clobber him. I thought I’d do it instead, so he wouldn’t get killed. I slugged him harder than I meant to, he went down, the bartender called the cops, and I got arrested. Curtis dropped the charges, and the cops decided not to press it.”

  Molly was amazed. This was the first time she’d ever heard of someone assaulting a friend to keep someone else from hurting them. “Knowing Curtis as long as you have,” she said, “do you have an opinion about who might have wanted to harm him?”

  “Curtis could be a jerk, okay? Sometimes he’d get so drunk he couldn’t drive home from the bar, and he’d make the bartender call Galina to come pick him up, and she’d haul his hide out of there. I felt sorry for her. And more often than not, he didn’t know when to shut his trap. But I can’t think of anyone who’d want to kill him. He was an ordinary guy.”

  Molly thought he was far from ordinary. Or at least, she hoped so, considering his excessive drinking, the gambling, and the contempt he had for his wife. These were terrible traits that any man with a shred of decency would avoid.

  “Were you aware that he was heavily in debt?”

  “Like I told the cop, we didn’t talk about stuff like that.”

  “But you must have known he was playing online poker.”

  “Sure, I knew. I played sometimes, too. But I knew when to stop.”

  “Do you know who he owed money to?”

  “Like I told the cops, I got no idea.”

  The door between the garage and the office opened. A man in a Precision Auto uniform stuck his head into the room and said, “Hey, Joey, we need you soon as you’re done with the customer.”

  “Yeah, okay, Bill. I’ll be right there.” Bill nodded and closed the door. Joey turned back to Molly. “I’ve got work to do, and I’ve got nothing more to say to you.” He walked to door, but stopped and turned before he opened it. “Unless you need your car fixed, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t come by here again.”

  Chapter 19

  Molly pulled her car into an empty space along Main Street to drop her mother off. The sky was growing dark again and more rain was
in the forecast, but she thought it would hold off long enough for her mother to walk to the Treasure Trove.

  “Thanks for coming with me,” Molly said. “I’ll let Lombardi know about our conversation with Joey, in case he told me something he left out during his interview.”

  “I always find it fascinating how people open up to you,” Clara said. “Of course, he had no idea who you really are. He thought he was talking to a reporter for an antiques magazine.”

  “Ah, he was.”

  “Yes, but he doesn’t know about the work you’ve done with the police solving crimes.” Clara unbuckled her seat belt. “I thought it was interesting what he said about Galina picking Curtis up at the bar when he was drunk. I wonder if he did it on purpose, refusing to be driven home by anyone else.”

  Molly looked at her. “You mean, like a control thing? He forced her to come and get him?” She shook her head. “If that’s true, he’s even worse than I already think he is. And what about Hattie being a vindictive cat?”

  “Is that surprising? She certainly didn’t waste any time getting her claws into Curtis after Galina died.”

  “True.” Molly switched off the car’s engine. “I’d love to know who she was having lunch with at Pigs Fly.”

  “Why did you turn off the car?”

  “Melanie’s Fabulous Donut Shop is right down the street. I’d never had donuts made with mashed potatoes until I tried Melanie’s, and now I’m hooked. I think they’re the best donuts I’ve ever had. I’m going to pick up a box before I head out to Misty Vale to talk to Hattie.”

  “I could let Sean know I’m going to Misty Vale with you, if you want some company.”

  “Thank you, Ma, but it’s not necessary. Besides, Sean probably needs your help since you’ve both been out of the shop all weekend.”

  Clara opened her door. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Ma, I told you, I’ve got this.”

  Clara, halfway out of the car, looked back at her. “Not to Misty Vale, dear. To the donut shop.”