by B R Snow
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here. We’ll get the scoop from Freddie tomorrow.”
We started walking back to the car.
“Freddie got your attention tonight, didn’t he?” I said, opening my door.
“He certainly did. I didn’t think he had it in him.”
“He was very forceful,” I said.
“Yup.”
“And intense.”
“Yup.”
“He got your motor running, didn’t he?”
“Maybe.”
We drove in silence for a while before Josie glanced over at me.
“We could be in for a long winter.”
“It certainly looks that way. Maybe we can figure out a way to get down to Florida,” I said.
“I’d rather figure out a way to convince Chef Claire that winter isn’t that bad.”
“You mean we need to lie to her,” I said.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Josie said.
“I thought you said you were going to let it go,” I said.
“No, what I said was that I was going to respect and accept whatever decision she made. I didn’t say I wasn’t going to do everything I could to help her change her mind.”
“I like the way you think,” I said.
“Your mother might be able to help us out,” Josie said.
“Definitely. I was thinking the same thing,” I said. “We just need to figure out a way to let my mother think it was her idea.”
“Are you thinking about a revenge play?”
“I am,” I said.
“So what are we going to do?”
“I have no idea,” I said, pulling into the driveway.
“You know, whenever I need to think things through,” Josie said. “I’ve always found that a little snack helps to get my brain working.”
“Are you thinking maybe a slice of chocolate chip cheesecake?”
“I could eat.”
Chapter 20
On Friday afternoon Josie and I, along with Chloe and Sluggo, were waiting at Jackson’s house when his father pulled into the driveway. Jackson climbed out of the passenger seat, and Sluggo dashed towards him. This time, the sounds he was making were those of a very happy dog. Jackson knelt down to pet him, wobbled briefly, then stood back up.
“Easy does it, Jackson,” Josie said, holding his shoulder to steady him.
“I guess the doctor wasn’t joking when he said my balance might be off for a while,” Jackson said, reaching down to rub Sluggo’s head. “He’s lost weight. Have you had him on a diet?”
“He’s been off his food while you were away,” I said, tossing him a plastic bag of dog biscuits I’d brought with me. “Try giving him one of those. Hey, Mr. Frank. How are you doing?”
Jackson gave the dog one of the biscuits, and it was evident that Sluggo had rediscovered his appetite. He devoured the biscuit and looked up at Jackson for another.
“Hi, Suzy, Josie,” Mr. Frank said. “It was nice of you to meet us here.”
“We wouldn’t have missed it,” I said. “Let’s get in out of the wind. We brought some ham and spinach soup and fresh bread that Chef Claire made. It’s on the stove and ready to go.”
“That sounds great,” Mr. Frank said.
“It is,” Josie said, then caught the look we were giving her. “Relax. I just had a little taste.”
We headed inside and sat down in the living room while Jackson, trailed closely by Sluggo, put his things in his bedroom. Mr. Frank sat down across from us. He looked tired but relieved.
“On the drive home, I tried again to convince him to quit being a cop and take over the store,” Mr. Frank.
“And?” Josie said.
“No luck. He’s so stubborn,” Mr. Frank said. “He gets that from his mother in case you were wondering.”
“What did he get from you?” Josie said.
“His incredible good looks. What else?”
“He likes being the Chief of Police,” I said, laughing.
“I know,” Mr. Frank said.
Jackson and Sluggo entered the living room, and Jackson sat down on the couch. Sluggo was soon sprawled over his lap panting contentedly.
“Bad news about Captain Bill, huh? Jackson said. “That’s a tough way to go.”
“Yeah, it is,” I said. “We talked with Freddie yesterday, and he said that the cold weather would probably have sobered him up enough to climb out, but that his body got wedged against one of the pilings. The boat rocking sideways would explain all the body bruises.”
“Sure. And the head wound,” Jackson said, nodding.
“What head wound?” I said, glancing at Josie.
“He had a big bump on the back of his head,” Jackson said.
“Oh, Freddie didn’t mention that,” I said, glancing at Josie.
“I don’t think I like the look on your face, Suzy,” Jackson said. “What is it?”
“It’s probably nothing,” I said. “It’s just that you got hit on the back of the head, and Captain Bill also had a head wound. But I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.”
“Let it go, Suzy,” Jackson said, shaking his head.
“What?”
“You know what I’m talking about,” Jackson said.
“I just think it’s curious,” I said. “And we do still have an unsolved murder to worry about.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that,” Jackson said. “But let me correct you on one thing. I have an unsolved murder. We don’t.”
“Ah, the dreaded collective we,” Josie whispered.
“What?” Jackson said, glancing at Josie.
“Nothing,” Josie said, laughing.
I punched her in the arm and looked at Jackson.
“You have nothing to worry about, Jackson,” I said. “Besides, we have a party to get ready for, and we’re much too busy to help you do your job.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that,” Jackson deadpanned.
Josie stood up and pulled on her coat.
“Let’s go Miss Marples,” she said. “We’ll see both of you tomorrow night.”
We said our goodbyes and climbed into the car.
“Interesting,” I said, turning the ignition key.
“No, Suzy. It’s not that interesting at all.”
“You know what we need to do, right?” I said, backing out of the driveway.
“Well, I’m afraid I know what you need to do,” she said, fastening her seat belt.
“How does your afternoon look?”
“I have a surgery scheduled right after lunch,” Josie said.
“We’ve got plenty of time,” I said, heading for downtown.
Five minutes later, we found Freddie in his office. He had his feet up on the desk and was reading a medical journal. When we entered, he put the journal down but kept his feet on the desk.
“Why aren’t I surprised to see you two here?” he said, grinning.
“We just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought we’d drop in to say hi,” I said.
Josie snorted. It truly wasn’t one of her better qualities and sometimes it made me cranky. This was one of those times.
“Sure, why not? Let’s go with just happened to be in the neighborhood,” Freddie said.
“We were just chatting with Jackson,” I said.
“Oh, good, he’s home. How’s he doing?”
“He’s fine,” I said. “Why didn’t you tell us that Captain Bill had a big bump on the back of his head?”
“Because I knew that if I did, you’d come in here and start throwing around a bunch of theories and asking a ton of questions about things that are none of your business,” Freddie said.
“Well, I guess your strategy didn’t work very well, did it?” I said.
Josie snorted again. I gave her a hard stare that she completely ignored.
“So what can you tell us about the lump on Captain Bill’s head?”
“It was big. And lumpy,” Freddie deadpanned.
Josie snorted for the third time.
“Will you please stop doing that?” I said, glaring at her.
“What can I tell you? It was funny,” Josie said.
“Thanks,” Freddie said.
“You’re welcome,” Josie said.
“How do you think he got the bump?”
Freddie shrugged.
“Look, Suzy, the guy probably had half a distillery in him. Maybe he fell earlier in the day. Maybe he fell on the dock. Or hit the piling when he fell in the water. Or the side of the boat. I don’t know, Suzy. It doesn’t matter, does it?”
“Could it have been caused by someone hitting him in the head?” I said.
“Sure,” Freddie said. “He could have also been hit with a hockey puck, but they don’t start playing for another month. For the record, I’ve already ruled out the hockey puck thing.”
This time, Josie laughed. It was better than hearing her snort, but it was still annoying.
“So you’re saying that he could have been murdered,” I said.
“No, I said no such thing,” Freddie said. “I’m saying he fell into the water and drowned.”
“But it’s possible, right?”
“Unbelievable,” Freddie said, shaking his head. “Don’t you have a bunch of dogs you need to care of?”
“Freddie, you won’t get anywhere trying to play the dog card with me,” I said. “Our dogs are just fine, thank you very much.”
“Then how about, don’t you have a party to get ready for?” Freddie said.
“No, we’re pretty much set to go,” I said, shaking my head.
“Let me try this then,” he said. “What would it take to get you to stop asking questions and go away?”
“Just tell me if it’s possible that someone hit Captain Bill in the head before he went in the water.”
“Yes, it’s possible,” Freddie said.
“Was that so hard?” I said.
“Degree of difficulty is not the cause of my resistance,” he said, laughing.
“How big was the lump?” I said, finally getting a bit of traction.
“About the size of a golf ball,” he said.
“Was there any bleeding?”
“No, just a lot of scotch and water,” he deadpanned. “Administered separately.”
Josie snorted. I chose to ignore her.
“Where was the lump?”
“It was on the right side of the lower occiput,” he said, taking his feet off the desk and sitting up in his chair. “Occiput is the term for the back of the skull in case you were wondering.”
“Thanks for clarifying that,” I said, making a face at him. I reached behind my head and felt around. “Where exactly was the lump?”
“Let me show you,” he said as he got up from his chair and stood behind me. “It’s was right there.” Then he flicked his finger against the back of my head.
“Ow, that hurt,” I said.
“Good.”
“You’re so going to pay for that,” I said, rubbing the spot.
“Oh, I have no doubt about that,” Freddie said. “But it was totally worth it. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I have a lunch meeting to get to.”
“Thanks for your help, Freddie,” Josie said, getting up out of her chair.
“It was the least I could do,” Freddie deadpanned.
“Yes, I noticed,” I said, continuing to rub the back of my head.
Chapter 21
Saturday morning was cool, but the wind had finally dropped to a gentle breeze. At nine, a crew arrived to erect a large tent on the lawn. They also installed about a dozen portable heaters that ringed the structure. In the afternoon, Chef Claire and three assistants started organizing plates, napkins, and cutlery, along with several warming trays on long tables that stretched across one side of the tent.
As soon as we were satisfied that our guests would be warm and well-fed, Josie and I headed inside to get ready for the party. Since we also had plans to duck out later that evening, we took the time to put black track suits and running shoes in the car to wear when we went to the boat.
For the party, we both decided to go with jeans and a sweater. The invitation had stressed casual, a consideration we knew all our friends would appreciate. At this time of year, fashion took a back seat to comfort and warmth.
At five, the first guests started arriving and after saying hello most of them headed straight for the buffet table where Chef Claire had an impressive collection of appetizers on display. Josie and I sampled each one, went back for seconds on the spinach rolls and the bacon wrapped figs, then spent the next hour greeting people as they arrived. Jackson arrived with his mom and dad at six, soon followed by Freddie who was traveling solo.
“Hey, guys,” Freddie said. “You both look great.”
“Hi, Freddie,” Josie said.
“Suzy, I was wondering if you could take a look at the bump on the back of my head,” he said, grinning.
“You’ll get yours, Freddie,” I said, glaring at him over the top of my wine glass.
“Hey, Chloe,” he said, bending down to pet her. “How are you doing, girl?”
Chloe rolled over on her back and kicked her legs as Freddie scratched her belly.
“She gets that from her mother,” Josie said.
I glared at her but didn’t have time for a comeback because I saw my mother and Dirk Sinclair walking toward us. They were both dressed in what I call elegant casual.
“How much do you think it costs to look like that?” Josie said.
“You mean dress to make it appear like you couldn’t care less what you look like?” I said, laughing.
“Yeah,” Josie said. “But she does look great.”
“Yes, she does,” I said. “And very happy.”
“Are you having second thoughts about what we’re doing?”
“No. My mom needs to know, and it’s better for her to find out now instead of later,” I said.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Freddie said.
“I’m just babbling,” I said. “It must be the concussion you gave me.”
“Funny,” Freddie said.
“Darling, what a wonderful party,” my mother said, gushing and kissing me on the cheek.
“Hi, Mom. How are you doing, Dirk?”
“Hi, Suzy,” he said, nodding like a bobble head doll. “I’m good. I’m really, really good. Hi, Josie.”
“Hey, Dirk,” Josie said. “Hi, Mrs. C.”
“How are you, dear?” my mother said as she hugged Josie. “Hi, Freddie. Tragic news about that boat captain, huh?”
“Yeah, it was. Hi, Dirk,” he said, shaking hands.
“How’s that Beemer I sold you running?” Dirk said to Freddie while staring at Josie.
“It’s great,” Freddie said. “I’m about to put it in the garage until spring. I need a four-wheel drive in the winter.”
“Sure, sure,” Dirk said, already bored.
Then he must have remembered running into Freddie the other day when he was with another woman because his expression changed dramatically. He frowned, stared off into the distance, then forced a smile and looked at Freddie.
“Well, just let me know if you need anything. I’ll personally make sure you get a great deal.” He turned to my mother. “Should we go sample what my newest chef has come up with today?”
“That sounds wonderful, Dirkie,” my mother said, reaching out to take his hand.
“Oh, there you are!”
All of us turned to look at the blonde woman who was strolling across the lawn in our direction. Freddie’s description had been accurate. She was young and pretty, blond and extremely well-endowed. I glanced away to look at Dirk and nudged Josie with my arm.
“He’s in shock,” I said, trying to hide my grin.
“Electroshock, maybe,” Josie whispered.
Dirk took a step back but was trapped, and he knew it. He forced a smile i
n the woman’s direction, then glanced at my mother who continued staring at the unfamiliar person walking directly toward her boyfriend. Dirk attempted a casual hug, but the woman pulled him tight and planted a kiss on him that made me blush. The kiss caused a slightly different reaction from my mother.
“Dirk, who is this woman?” my mother said, staring in disbelief at what she was seeing.
“Oh, I’ve missed you so much,” the woman said, rubbing herself against Dirk. “Our little afternoon session the other day wasn’t nearly enough.”
“What are you doing here, Cindy?” Dirk finally managed to stammer.
“Silly, I was invited,” the young blonde named Cindy said. “Didn’t this come from you?”
She reached into her purse and pulled out the invitation that Josie and I had slid into her mailbox. It hadn’t been easy, but we’d managed to track her down through the restaurant where she and Dirk had eaten lunch.
“Uh, actually,” Dirk said, glancing back and forth between her and my mother. “No, it wasn’t me. But it’s good to see you.”
“That’s odd,” Cindy said, tucking the invitation back in her purse. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m here now.” She snuggled tight against his chest.
“Dirk?” my mother said quietly.
I recognized the voice immediately. I’d heard that tone hundreds of times in my life. Even when it wasn’t directed at me, it still made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“I can explain,” Dirk said, frantically looking around for what I assumed was an escape route.
“I can’t wait to hear this,” Josie whispered.
“He better hurry,” I whispered back. “She’s about to blow.”
“I’m waiting for an explanation, Dirk,” my mother said.
“Relax, Grandma,” Cindy snapped, slowly turning her head to glare at my mother.
“Uh-oh,” Josie whispered. “She played the age card. Big mistake.”
“They don’t come any bigger,” I whispered.
I watched my mother’s face go stone cold, and I knew that whatever plans she’d had for her and Dirk had just vanished into the cool night air.
“Don’t you have someplace to be, dear?” my mother said. “Like maybe cheerleading practice.”
