Flourless to Stop Him

by Nancy J. Parra

  I rattled in an empty van down Main Street to Central. Turning left onto Central I headed west. My bed called me from the distance. My stomach rumbled and threatened me with terrible things.

  Altogether it was stupid of me to think I could cheat—especially with the holidays just around the corner.

  I arrived home to find Tim’s car parked in the street in front of the house. The driveway was blocked by a black Audi. I parked beside it, squeezing the van into the small space between the sleek black car and the house.

  “Mindy must be here,” I muttered to myself and headed into the kitchen. Inside was warm and well lit. My cousin Mindy stood at the stove, cooking something in a frying pan that smelled like an omelet. Yum, if my stomach weren’t a big mess.

  “Hi, Mindy. That smells good.” I hugged my cousin.

  “Thanks, I got in when Tim did this morning. I’m hungry, but all you have is frozen bread. I don’t like it frozen, so I stopped at the store and picked up some fresh.” Mindy pointed at the toaster and a pile of toast on a plate. “I hope you like whole wheat.”

  “Oh.” My shoulders dropped. “Um, I’m gluten-free.”

  “What? What’s that?”

  “I have celiac disease. It means that if I eat gluten it damages my insides. Like right now—I ate takeout French fries yesterday and I’m suffering today.”

  “Oh.” She drew her perfectly groomed eyebrows together. “You’re sick?”

  “Yes, it’s not pretty.” I stepped over to the sink and grabbed a water glass from the cupboard on the right side of the sink. “The reason my bread is frozen is because it’s gluten-free. It doesn’t have wheat, barley, or rye in it; therefore it spoils quicker. Freezing it keeps it fresh.”

  “Really?” She picked up the frying pan. “So I contaminated your kitchen when I brought in fresh bread?”

  “Sort of.” I winced. “I’ll need to get a new toaster and whatever dishes you used will have to be separated. You can’t wash or sterilize gluten away. It has to be dedicated.”

  “I’m so sorry! I had no idea.” Mindy slumped against the counter.

  “It’s not your fault.” I put my hand on her arm. “People who don’t have experience with celiac don’t understand how crazy things can make you.”

  “What happens? Can I ask?” She slid a perfect omelet onto a plate. “Do you break out in a rash? Does your throat close up?”

  “I get terrible stomach issues.” I hugged my belly as it rumbled. “Like IBS symptoms.”

  “Oh, oh dear.” She pursed her mouth and winced. “I’ll take this out to the dining room.”

  “Okay, just please keep it separate.”

  “Sure, sure.” Mindy walked with me to the dining room. “It must be really hard to worry about gluten. At least it doesn’t make you so sick you die.” She sat down at the table. “I read last week where a boy ate part of a cookie and it literally killed him.”

  “Peanuts,” I said. “Or tree nuts, I bet.”

  “Yes, I think it was a peanut allergy. Is that why you’re home?” She forked up some eggs. “Tim said you would be working until eight P.M.”

  “Yes, I’m not doing so well.”

  “Then go on up to bed. I know my way around the house. I’ll be fine.” Mindy’s large brown eyes were a photographer’s dream.

  “Does Grandma Ruth know you’re here?”

  “Yes, I called her,” Mindy said. “We’re supposed to have dinner later and catch up.”

  “Cool.” I kissed my cousin’s cheek and headed out of the dining room.

  “Toni?”

  “Yes?” I looked back at her.

  “I’m going to be here awhile, is that okay?”

  “Sure.” I gave her a half shrug. “There’s plenty of room in the house. You know that Tasha and her son, Kip, are living on the third floor, right?”

  “Yes, Grandma and Tim told me.”

  “And have you met Aubrey?”

  As if on cue, the puppy came tearing down the stairs and flew into the dining room. He jumped up on the table, grabbed a piece of toast, and went to the far corner to sit and grin as if he’d accomplished the best trick ever.

  “Aubrey, no!” I said and walked over to him. He tried to run into the kitchen, but I grabbed him and took the toast from his mouth. “Kennel.” I took him by the collar and dragged him into his kennel on the enclosed mudroom near the door. I put him inside and shut the door. He turned quickly to face me and wagged his tail.

  I struggled not to smile at his antics—at least until I got out of view.

  The moment I crossed into the dining room, I grinned and Aubrey barked behind me.

  “What was that?” Mindy looked horrified as I imagine anyone who unexpectedly came into contact with a large-breed puppy who stole the food off the table.

  “Sorry, that’s Aubrey—Kip’s dog. He’s just a puppy and still in the pushing boundaries mode.”

  “Nice.” Mindy shook her head. “I didn’t really want that toast anyway.” She patted her perfectly flat stomach. “I’m watching my figure.”

  “Do you mind going in in a minute or two and letting him out of his kennel? He gets timed out but we don’t want to make him wait too long. Besides, if you let him out he’ll love you forever for rescuing him. That is, until he forgets and tries another one of his antics.” My own stomach rumbled loudly as if to join in the conversation. “Did Tim tell you which bedroom I made up for you?”

  “Yes, thanks. Go on. Go rest.” She waved her hands as if to shoo me out of the room. “I’ve got the dog and the kitchen cleanup. Feel better.”

  “I hope to,” I said and went upstairs. I didn’t mind a full house. My bedroom was attached to a Jack-and-Jill bath that was shared with a room that was currently used as a guest room. I had put Mindy in Mom and Dad’s master bedroom. Tim should be sleeping in the third-floor back bedroom that used to be a sunporch but Mom had enclosed for year-round sleeping.

  The house really was large enough to be a bed-and-breakfast. I suppose with Tasha no longer working at the Welcome Inn she could now run the house as a B&B. Except I think she liked her work at the Red Tile Inn. Maybe with the discovery of a dead body, that had changed.

  I made a mental note to ask Tasha about it. But first I was headed to bed where I hoped I could sleep off some of my problems.

  CHAPTER 7

  The sound of the doorbell jangling woke me from a fitful sleep. I glanced at the clock. It was 3:00 P.M. Whoever was at the door was insistent and now pounded as well as jangled. The puppy barked as if to warn us of an intruder.

  “I’m coming, I’m coming,” I grumbled and stumbled out into the hallway to meet Tim at the stairs. He looked like death warmed over. His hair stood up on one side and he had dark bags under his eyes.

  “What the heck?” he asked as we hurried down the stairs. It sounded as if whoever was at the door was about ready to bust it down. It didn’t help that Aubrey barked and leapt at the door as if begging them to come in.

  I reached it first and saw Officer Emry’s serious mug as he raised his hand to bang again. I yanked the door open leaving him to whoosh his hand through the air. “Yes?”

  Aubrey rushed out to wind his way around Officer Emry’s legs, his large tail smacking the police officer in a flurry of happiness.

  “What’s with all the knocking?” Tim grumbled behind me. “You know I sleep days.”

  “I have a warrant to search the premises.” Officer Emry puffed up his chest and stuck out his chin. There were two junior officers standing behind him. I had no idea what their names were, but their faces looked familiar, which meant I knew their families.

  “Aubrey, come here.” I grabbed the puppy just seconds before he stuck his nose in the wrong place.

  “You have to have just cause for a warrant,” Tim said.

  “You being here is
cause in my book,” Emry said.

  For a moment I thought Tim was going to lunge at him. My brother always had a bit of a temper and when woken up abruptly tended to act before he thought. I stuck my hand out to halt him. Tim narrowed his eyes and leaned against my hand. Officer Emry leaned back a fraction. Aubrey barked for good measure.

  “Stop! All of you.” The dog went quiet and the two men relaxed. “Let me see the warrant.” I held out my hand toward the officer.

  He put the paper in my hand and then placed his hands on his gun belt. “Please step aside,” he said and eyed Aubrey. “Put the dog away.” I pushed Aubrey onto Tim and maneuvered both of them behind me as Officer Emry opened the door. “Is there anyone else in the house?”

  “Yes, my cousin Mindy is staying with us. Tasha and Kip are both out.” I glanced at the grandfather clock in the hallway. “But they will be home any moment.”

  “I’m calling Ridgeway,” Tim groused and held Aubrey with one hand and took out his cell phone with the other.

  “Call him all you want; we have a warrant.” Emry swaggered into the house with the two junior officers.

  “What are you looking for?” I asked as I skimmed over the legal document. “I could help you find it.”

  “We’re looking for evidence of drugs and drug paraphernalia,” one of the junior officers said. He was blond and blue-eyed, with the German good looks of a Kansas farm family. I noted his name tag said Warwick.

  “Good luck finding that,” I said with a laugh and waved them inside. “I’ve got some aspirin in the medicine cabinet, along with all kinds of stomach remedies.”

  “Dealers don’t usually keep their stashes in the medicine cabinet,” Officer Emry noted and narrowed one eye.

  “There are no drug dealers in this house.” I rolled my eyes.

  “We have just cause to believe there are.” Emry stared at Tim.

  I frowned and looked at my brother. “Tim?”

  “I have no idea what he’s talking about.” Tim shrugged. His green tee shirt moved with his broad shoulders. He had pulled on a pair of jeans that sat on his hips unbelted so that the top of his shorts showed.

  “Start at the top and work your way down,” Officer Emry ordered the two junior officers. Officer Warwick took the stairs two at a time.

  “Let me warn my cousin.” I went to take the stairs when Officer Emry stopped me with a hand on my arm.

  “They’ll knock before entering.”

  “I’m calling Ridgeway,” Tim said again and this time dialed his phone. “This is harassment.”

  Aubrey let out a loud bark as if to agree.

  Officer Emry jumped at the sound and put me between him and the pup. “Keep that dog restrained.”

  “He’s only a puppy.”

  “A monster-sized puppy,” Officer Emry said as he eyed him cautiously.

  “He has a kennel on the back porch. Tim could crate him if he makes you uncomfortable.”

  “Keep the dog away from me and no one will get hurt,” Emry said. “You two need to stay in the front parlor or I will have to arrest you for interfering.”

  “Ridiculous,” I muttered. Emry ignored my remark, hitched his gun belt on his hips, and followed Tim back toward the kitchen. I noticed that I had left my purse and cell phone on the counter. I followed the officer back into the kitchen.

  He opened cabinets and drawers, pushing aside my containers of flours and sugars and spices. “I doubt there are drugs behind my xanthum gum,” I said.

  “Just doing my job,” he muttered. “I’m here to catch a killer and I won’t let any part of the investigation go wrong.”

  I shoved my hands in the pockets of pink-and-white pajama pants. I had put on a long-sleeved tee shirt and discarded my bra as I’d been feeling bloated and hated anything tight on my body. Right then I wished I had grabbed my bathrobe when I’d come downstairs.

  Emry ignored me and went through the drawers, searching the kitchen thoroughly from top to bottom. I casually snagged my purse and phone and went back to the front parlor, where Tim sat sprawled out in Mom’s blue wingback chair. His hands were in his pockets. His legs were spread wide and his feet shoved out in front of him. His hair still stood on end on the left and his expression was one of disgust.

  Aubrey sat at his feet, his head between his paws, looking for all the world as if we had let the bad guys in and wouldn’t let him do his job.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Ridgeway said he’d be here soon to look at the warrant and ensure they don’t go any further than the judge said they could.”

  I sat on the blue-and-white-striped settee and put my purse at my feet. “I’ll call Tasha and give her a heads-up.”

  I hit her number on the phone and put her on speaker. I perused the warrant as the phone rang.

  “Hi, Toni.” Tasha’s voice came through the speaker. “I’m at the school in the pickup line. Do you need something?”

  “Hey, Tasha, you’re on speaker. I’m at the house with Tim. Officer Emry showed up with two helpers and a warrant to search the premises.”

  “Oh dear, that’s not good.”

  Aubrey raised his head and cocked it to the side at the sound of Tasha’s voice.

  “Are you a suspect?”

  “No,” I said.

  Aubrey sat up as if he wanted in on the conversation.

  “It’s Tim, isn’t it?” Tasha sounded worried.

  “I haven’t done anything, Tasha,” Tim said loudly.

  “I didn’t think you did,” Tasha agreed.

  “I thought you should know that they may be going through your things.” I glanced out the window to see Brad’s Cadillac pull up behind the police cars. “Brad’s here.”

  “I’ll take Kip to the deli for a snack,” Tasha said. “Seeing the police go through the house will upset him.”

  “I agree. We’ll keep you posted.”

  “Thanks, Toni,” Tasha said. “I’m pulling for you, Tim!”

  “Thanks, Tash, but there’s nothing you have to pull for.” Tim flung his right leg over the arm of the chair. His posture was that of a surly teenager.

  “What is going on?” Mindy walked into the parlor. “I was online when they knocked on the bedroom door, said, ‘Police,’ and entered before I could say anything. It’s a good thing I was dressed.” She wore a comfy-looking pair of black yoga pants and a tee shirt. Of the three of us, Mindy seemed the most pulled together. Her light brown hair curled perfectly around her face.

  “According to this warrant, they have reason to believe there is the possibility of drugs and/or drug paraphernalia in our house.”

  “It’s a dictatorial regime.” Tim sneered.

  Mindy laughed at my brother’s obvious frustration. “The whole thing is ridiculous. They seriously got a judge to issue a warrant to search the homestead for drugs?” She held out her hand and I handed her the warrant.

  “Tim’s under investigation for a homicide,” I said.

  “Even more ridiculous,” Tim grumbled. “I came over here to get some sleep. Can I sue for work missed brought on by sickness from lack of sleep?”

  “Only if you can prove the correlation,” Mindy said as she looked over the warrant. “This warrant is iffy at best.”

  “How do you know?” I stood and held out my hand to get the document back.

  “I’m a paralegal.” She shrugged. “Law is kind of my thing. I work at Shubert and Engle.”

  “Shubert and Engle?”

  “One of the most prestigious litigation firms in New York City,” Brad said as he stepped into the parlor. “I hope you don’t mind, but the door was literally wide-open.”

  “Oh, hello.” Mindy raised her shoulders and dipped her head to look up at Brad with wide eyes. I knew that look. Mindy could get any man she wanted. It was second nature to he
r. I really wished I had at least combed my hair and that my stomach weren’t making that obvious grumble sound.

  “Thanks for coming so quickly.” Tim stood and the men shook hands. “This is crazy. Emry’s power hungry.”

  “Mindy says this warrant is weak.” I handed Brad the papers.

  “Are you going to introduce us?” Mindy asked, her eyebrows raised.

  “Oh, right, sorry,” I said. “Mindy McCree, this is Brad Ridgeway, our family attorney. Brad, this is my cousin Mindy.”

  “So nice to meet you,” Mindy said and flashed her perfect teeth. “You’ve heard of my employers?”

  “Sure.” Brad gave a short nod and turned his attention to the warrant. “My law school had a class on their win/loss rate and some of your more well-known cases.”

  “Well, not my cases, exactly.” Mindy touched her chest with her fingers. “I’m only a paralegal, but the firm has been in business for nearly a hundred years and has brought in some of the finest legal minds in the nation.”

  “You must be very busy at work,” I said. “Plus, didn’t Grandma say you had a serious new boyfriend? How did you find time to take off for this visit?”

  Mindy flinched. “We broke up last week. I’d banked quite a bit of vacation. I had to use it or lose it.” She shrugged. “That’s what happens when you work in a busy environment for nearly ten years.”

  “Wow, ten years,” I said. “Has it really been that long?”

  Mindy nodded.

  “You’re right about this warrant being weak,” Brad interrupted and glanced at Tim and I. “This was signed by Judge Loblow. He golfs with the county prosecutor. They’re both up for reelection next fall.”

  “What does that have to do with the warrant?”

  “Capturing a murderer would go a long way toward wining votes.”