With my tears gone, I had to ask her something. "Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"
It seemed to take an eternity for Brenda to actually answer. "I spoke to Lisa earlier."
Oh great. I couldn't figure how this could have possibly worked out in my favor. If anything, I would have expected any conversation with Lisa to only turn Brenda even further against me.
"I think I owe you an apology," Brenda said. She was having a little trouble meeting my eye, but I could see that there was guilt in hers.
"Lisa admitted that she sent the email to Erika to get her to come to town on the wrong weekend." Brenda shook her head. "I knew Lisa was competitive, but I never knew she was that bad. It's crossing a line, in my opinion. It was wrong of her."
My eyes widened to hear Brenda speak about her bestie in this way. Well, well, well. You could have knocked me over with a feather I was so surprised. This definitely explained her sudden change in demeanor toward me.
Brenda looked at me. "And it was Lisa who tricked you into going to Patty's cabin on the day of the competition. She was behind it all."
"Well, I already knew that," I said, taking a heavy sigh. "But I'm glad you've finally been able to see things my way, Brenda. There really is a first time for everything."
"I've already said sorry. You don't have to heap on the guilt trip," Brenda said.
"I wasn't aware I was."
But Brenda really did seem wracked with guilt. She bit down on her lip and stared into the distance.
"Now I just don't know what to think," Brenda said. "After you got taken to the station, I thought you must have had something to do with Erika's death, but now I'm starting to think Lisa might have..." She couldn't even say the words.
I shook my head. I felt bad for Brenda. "She couldn’t have done it, Brenda," I said gently. "She wasn't in town. She was in Chicago."
"Really?" Brenda looked up hopefully, like she wanted to believe it. Maybe she was on the outs with Lisa, but she still didn't want to believe she could be capable of such a horrific crime.
I nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry, Brenda. Your friend isn't a killer. She's got a rock solid alibi." Unfortunately. I didn't say that bit out loud.
"Well, she still did the wrong thing. She shouldn't have the trophy sitting on her bookshelf." Brenda straightened her shoulders. "You should have it, Georgina."
I actually burst out laughing. I'd never expected her to say that. "That's very kind of you to say, Brenda, and the money sure would come in handy right now with all the rewards I'm having to hand out. But I guess Lisa won it kind of fair and square. Hey, it's not like she actually bribed the judges or anything."
Brenda glared at me with her lips drawn in a thin line. "Lisa might not have killed Erika, but if she'd never sent that email, Erika would still be alive. She isn't innocent in Erika's death." Brenda turned away. "And I don't think she deserves to profit from it."
She had a point. A good point. But what did Brenda intend to do? Rat Lisa out to the judges? Actually, Brenda was the kind of woman who would do just that.
"I think I feel a headache coming on," Brenda said wearily. "Do you mind if I head home early?"
I shook my head. It was quiet in the shop after a busy morning. The tourists had started, slowly, to trickle back out of the town. "Go home and get some rest. You've had a rough day."
She shuffled to the door, a troubled expression still on her face.
"Say hello to Brandi for me when you get home," I said breezily as I waved Brenda good-bye. "I haven't seen her for days. Actually, ask her to drop by if she feels like it! And she can bring me a coffee too, if she really feels like it," I said with a big grin.
"When I get home?" Brenda asked, frowning. "I don't think Brandi will be at the house. I haven't seen her for days either."
"Huh? She's been out of the house for days?" I asked.
"Well, she hasn't visited in days," Brenda said, one hand on the door. She seemed in a hurry to leave and didn’t quite understand what I was asking her.
And I was having trouble understanding her. Brandi hadn't visited Brenda's house in days? Why would she need to visit if she was staying there? Unless...
"Hang on, Brandi isn't staying with you?" I asked, confused. "Is that what you are saying?"
Brenda shook her head. "No. She's been staying down at the Pink Flamingo Lodge."
"Oh," I said. "That's strange. I just assumed…"
Brenda shook her head and finally managed to get through the door. "She said she doesn't want to stay with her aunt and uncle. I suppose we are not young and hip enough for her."
"Hello, boy! Sorry to leave you again! Your mommy's home now, though!"
Jasper jumped up on me, his paws on my chest. I laughed as he licked my face. "Woah, that tickles!" I yelled, trying to gently push him off me as my cell phone rang. "Down, boy. Come on, this might be a call about your sister! I have to answer it!"
I finally managed to push him off me and ran to grab the phone from the counter.
"Hello?"
"Hello?" the voice on the other end of the line answered. The voice was familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. "This is Leanne calling from the Pink Flamingo Lodge."
Aha. So that's where I knew the voice from.
"We've had a cancellation, and your name, believe it or not, was next on the list. Are you still in town? Did you still want the room?"
I couldn't believe it. Did she know who she had actually called? I'd never actually said my name out loud to her, and I'd always assumed she'd thrown the piece of paper on the pile without actually looking at it.
I was about to answer that it was fine, I'd left town now, or some other excuse. After all, I'd never actually wanted to book a room. But a thought suddenly occurred to me and before I knew what was happening, I heard the words coming out of my mouth. "Yes, actually," I said. "I'd love to book a room for the night. Tonight suits me just fine. Should I come down now?"
Yep, there was no lie about it. The 'no' part of the sign was now gone and for the first time, the sign read "Vacancies."
I smiled and approached the reception area. I had a little bag with me and everything, just so I wouldn't look too suspicious. Leanne was in her usual spot behind the reception desk, nose in a gossip mag as per usual.
"Oh. It’s you." Leanne looked a little disappointed as she reached for the keys. "I thought it might be, but I wasn't sure." She frowned at me. "I thought you were a local, seeing as you were looking for your dog."
"I brought my dog with me for the trip," I lied. "But seeing as she's missing, I am free to stay, aren't I?"
Leanne nodded, but she didn't seem too sure.
"I can't wait for my stay here," I said cheerfully. "I'm surprised you had a cancellation, though. Given how wonderful this place is."
Leanne paused with the keys in her hands for a second before she slowly handed them to me. She was still sizing me up, trying to figure out what my game was.
"It wasn't a cancellation so much, more that we had to throw someone out."
"Again?" I asked, in mock shock. I wasn't totally surprised. Leanne did have a habit of throwing her guests out. I was just surprised that she was so forthcoming with sharing that bit of gossip with me. But it was what I had come for, after all. The gossip.
"Yes," Leanne answered, tutting. "Can you believe it? There was another person in here trying to keep a dog in their room in secret. People these days really have no basic respect."
I grabbed the keys from her, wondering why there were so many keys for a single room "How do you know they were keeping a dog in the room?" I asked.
Leanne shook her head in disgust. "Housekeeping saw the room. Covered with small white dog hairs. I can't believe she thought she could get away with that when the evidence was all over the room!"
I gulped. "Was it Casper? Was it my dog?"
Leanne shook her head. "Sorry, I never actually saw the dog itself. Just the evidence of its stay here."
; I had to try and stay calm and collect my thoughts. Okay. Someone else had Casper. Someone had taken her from Erika.
Probably after they'd killed her.
"What was her name?" I whispered. "What was the name of the woman you had to kick out? The one with the dog?"
Leanne hesitated for a moment. "Her name was Brandi."
"Thanks," I said, handing the keys back to her. "I won't be needing the room after all."
I can't remember much about my walk from the lodge back to my craft store, only that somehow my feet took me there even when the weight of dread in my stomach was threatening to drag me to the ground. I had to find Brenda. I had to know where her niece was. If she had Casper, then my dog's life was at stake.
I wouldn't trust Casper in the hands of a killer.
I'd known my instincts were right. Erika's death and Casper's disappearance were connected.
But I didn't feel vindicated. I felt terrified.
Chapter 10
"Where have you been?" Brenda asked, thin-lipped as I barged through the door of the craft store. "I've been run off my feet without you here."
I had no time for a scolding. Especially considering that Brenda had held back important information from me. And the police. She tried to lay the blame at Lisa Riemer's feet. Well, as far as I was concerned, she was just as culpable.
"Did Brandi know Erika?" I asked Brenda nonchalantly. Brenda busied herself straightening a stack of already perfectly stacked papers and ignored my question.
"Brenda, it’s important. I think your niece has Casper. And I think she is the one who killed Erika."
"She didn't know her! She doesn't know anything about any of this!" Brenda exclaimed, her face as white as a ghost. "You sound like you've gone insane, Georgina. To accuse Lisa was one thing, but Brandi? How dare you."
I shook my head at her. "I know that you know more than you let on about the night of Erika's death, Brenda. I spoke to Tom."
If it was possible, even more color drained from Brenda's cheeks.
"He told me he was there on the day Erika died, that he witnessed her being thrown out of the Pink Flamingo Lodge. Yet you claimed the next day to know nothing about it. I thought maybe you were protecting Tom, or Lisa, but all this time you've been protecting Brandi, haven't you?"
"I…I..." Brenda's face fell. She shook her head and whispered, "I KNEW that Tom must have said too much to you that night. When he returned to the house, he would barely even look me in the eyes." She sounded seriously ticked off.
"Brenda, that is hardly the point right now!" I had to remind her. "Please, tell me the truth now. What did Tom really see that day when he was at the lodge?"
"I think I need a paper bag to breath into..."
More divergent tactics. "Brenda!"
She really did seem to be having trouble breathing. I wasn't sure if it was for real or just for show. I patiently waited until she finally found her words. "Tom saw... He saw Erika having an argument with someone."
"Yes. He told me she was having an argument with the manager. Because she was found with a dog in her room. MY dog," I said firmly.
Brenda didn't look so sure. "That might have been true, but that's not what Tom saw. He saw her arguing with Brandi." She looked up at me, tears swimming in her eyes. "He was just trying to protect her. You have to understand, she is family."
I was fuming on the inside but doing my best to push down the fire threatening to erupt. "It's okay, Brenda," I said, lying. It wasn't really okay, but she had to feel like it was safe to tell me the truth without being in danger of me giving her a quick slap to the face. Not that I would ever do that. I just felt like doing it. "Anyone would have done the same thing to protect a family member."
Brenda nodded. "You have to understand, Georgina, that I never, ever truly thought that Brandi had anything to do with Erika's death! I just knew how bad it would look when...when..."
"When what, Brenda?"
Brenda was wringing her hands together. "Tom didn't hear everything. Just an argument they were having. You see, Brandi was only staying at the lodge because she thought she was too cool to stay with a couple of middle-aged fogies while she was in town. But she must have gotten into a fight with Erika. I think they were staying in adjacent rooms."
A customer stepped into the shop. "Sorry! We're closed!" I said to the poor, wide-eyed woman as I gently pushed her back out onto the street and turned the sign around to 'closed.' I was worried that Brenda was going to lose her nerve if we got any more interruptions. "Then what happened, Brenda? What did Tom hear?"
"Erika was accusing Brandi of stealing something from her." Brenda shook her head. "Tom wasn't really sure what it was all about. A bracelet or something. But Brandi would never steal anything."
"A bracelet with the letter E on it?" I whispered.
That was why the police hadn't found the bracelet when they'd found Erika's body. Because Brandi had it. She must have returned to the scene of the crime and purposely dropped it. "It would have looked bad if the police found it in her possession," I murmured.
"What are you talking about?" Brenda asked.
I felt sorry for her as I looked at her. She really didn't know what her niece was capable of, did she? She really had no idea. "Brenda, I think Brandi did steal that bracelet. And I think she did kill Erika. And now, she has Casper. You have to help me find her."
"Come on," Brenda said, grabbing her purse. "I know where she'll be. She'll be where she always goes when she gets into trouble. My house."
I could see the white hairs on the carpet as we stepped into Brenda's house. They were obviously new. There was no way Brenda had ever let a dog, willingly, into her house.
"Stay out of the way," Brenda whispered to me. "Here, hide in the den," she said as she crept down the hallway. I did as I was told. In this situation, unlike most, Brenda knew best.
"Brandi?" she called out, raising her voice this time, while I stayed hidden on the other side of the door. "Are you home, sweetheart?"
I heard the sound of a small dog yapping and my heart skipped a beat. Casper. I wanted to run out into the hallway and grab her, but I knew I had to wait.
"Auntie Brenda?" I heard a tearful voice call out.
"Yes, sweetheart, I'm home now." I heard Brenda drop her purse on the kitchen table. I'd never heard Brenda sound so warm and loving. I wondered if she was just putting it on to make Brandi feel better, or if this was how she always spoke to her loved ones when no one was around. From the sound of genuine warmth in her voice I had a feeling it was the latter.
I felt terrible for Brenda. She didn't deserve a family member like this.
I heard Casper yelping again. It sounded like Brandi had her in her arms and wouldn't let her go. "Auntie Brenda, I did a terrible thing," she whispered. It sounded like she was crying.
"It's okay, sweetheart. Why don't you give the dog to me?" Brenda asked.
"No!" Brandi cried out. "The dog stays with me."
So it was Brandi who really killed Erika, and now she was holding Casper hostage. Could this woman get any worse?
Just put Casper down, just put her down, I thought, leaning my head against the wall and closing my eyes.
"Brandi," I heard Brenda explain, a little less patiently this time. "You know how I feel about dogs in the house." This was not part of the act; this was the real Brenda shining through. "She can't stay here."
"But I have nowhere else to go," Brandi cried. "And this dog stays with me!" I heard her yell, "No!" Then Casper started violently barking. I wondered if Brenda had tried to grab her.
I opened my eyes and saw a police car pulling up out the front of the house.
Oh no.
I ran to the window and saw Ryan, still dressed in his uniform, climb out of the car. I guessed he hadn't gotten the promotion yet. I really did feel bad for him. But maybe this could be his shot.
But he had to tread carefully.
I tried to get his attention through the window. I shook my
head and made a slashing motion against my throat. I'd meant it more as a 'cease and desist' signal, but Ryan must have taken it as a sign that someone was about to get their throat slit because a look of horror crossed his throat and he started sprinting to the door.
Great. Just great.
Before I could stop him, Ryan was knocking loudly on the door and calling out, "Who’s in there? Open up! This is the police!" I ran to the door and tried to calm him down and stop the yelling, but it was too late.
"Who’s here?" I heard Brandi scream. Suddenly, she was in the hallway, a terrified Casper in her arms. She looked like a totally different girl than the usually bright, cheerful Brandi I knew. Even her blonde hair looked darker and limper. I realized I had never really known her at all. Boy, I really had a knack for picking friends, didn't I?
"Casper!" I whispered, moving away from the door and finally allowing Ryan to spill through it.
"What’s going on in here?" Ryan asked, taking a moment to catch his breath as he moved his eyes from me, to Brenda, to Brandi, and finally to the trembling dog in her arms.
"It's a hostage situation," I said to him, holding him back. "And she's got my dog. Don't make a move."
Brandi was shaking as she held Casper close to her chest. "Don't move any closer or...or..." She couldn't quite finish her threat, but I knew what she was implying. She was trying to say, "One more move and the dog gets it."
"Brandi," I said carefully. "I don't care what else you do now, if you run away and escape or..." I caught Ryan glaring at me out of the corner of my eye. Okay, so maybe he cared if she ran away and escaped, but I wasn't working for the law. I only cared about one thing.
"Just put the dog down. Put Casper down. She doesn't deserve to get hurt."
"I don't want to hurt her," Brandi said. "But if you and the cop don't leave me alone, I might have to."
This girl was a sociopath. "Ryan," I pleaded with him. "Please stay back." I stared straight at Brandi. "I know that you saved Casper after you killed Erika. And you've obviously taken good care of her. Please, I know that you don't want to hurt her. You love her."
Craft Circle Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 17
