The Catsgiving Feast

by Kathi Daley

  “Good afternoon, Sue,” I said as I walked through the front door.

  “Afternoon, Cait. What brings you out on this windy day?”

  “I wanted to ask about the community theater.”

  Sue smiled. “Are you thinking about helping out with the Christmas play?”

  “No. I’ll be in Florida for two weeks in December, so that wouldn’t work out. I was wondering about a new member of your group. A man named Hugo.”

  Sue raised a brow. “I’m surprised you’re asking about him. He’s very good-looking, but didn’t I hear you’re getting married?”

  “I am getting married,” I said. “I’m not asking about him because I’m interested in him personally. I’m asking because I heard he might have been seeing Sally before she died.”

  Sue looked surprised. “Oh, I doubt that. Sally was married and Hugo has a girlfriend.”

  “Do you know the name of this girlfriend?” I asked.

  Sue frowned. “No. It never came up. I just know he lives on San Juan Island. When he decided to join our group, I warned him there would be evenings when rehearsal would run after the ferry stopped running for the day, and he said his girlfriend lived on Madrona Island, so he’d stay with her when he couldn’t get home.”

  “And you never saw him with anyone?”

  Sue shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. Is it important?”

  “No. Probably not.” I turned to leave. “Do you happen to know Hugo’s last name?”

  “Hugo is his last name. Well, his full name is Antonio Hugoson, but everyone calls him Hugo. If you’re really interested in finding out who his girlfriend is, you should ask Summer.”

  “Summer?” Summer lived down the beach from me but often stayed with Mr. Parsons, along with her husband, Banjo.

  “Summer is doing the Christmas play this year. She seems to always know what’s going on.”

  “Okay. Thank you. I’ll check with her.”

  I left the office and headed over to Ship Wreck to see if Summer was in today. Luckily, she was.

  “Cait. What are you up to today?”

  “I hear you’re doing the Christmas play this year.”

  “I thought it would be fun. I’m going to play the crazy ghost of Christmas present.”

  Talk about typecasting. “I hear there’s a new man in the group. Someone named Hugo.”

  “Yes. He’s going to play Bob Cratchit. He’s really very good.”

  “I’ve heard as much. I understand he lives on San Juan Island but stays with his girlfriend when he has a late rehearsal.”

  Summer gave me an odd look. “Yes, that’s right. Is there a point to this line of questioning?”

  “Do you know who the girlfriend is?”

  Summer nodded. “Sure. It’s Eve Donner.”

  Okay, I wasn’t expecting that, but I guess it fit. I knew Eve had been on San Juan Island visiting her boyfriend on her days off. She’d also been the one who Sally had supposedly called to cancel the dinner plans she had with the group. Had Eve known her guy was messing around with Sally and confronted her? Had they argued, and had Sally been killed in a fit of rage? Had Eve, who I knew was doing a double shift at the Driftwood on the day the anonymous call came in, tried to set up Miranda to divert attention from herself?

  “Thanks, Summer.” I hugged her. “I have to go, but you’ve helped a lot.”

  Unfortunately, Eve had worked the early shift and had already left for the day by the time I showed up to talk to her. I asked Kimmy about her shift on the Monday Sally had died and she looked it up for me. Eve had worked the early shift but had taken off a few minutes early. Kimmy remembered Eve saying she had softball practice and then a dinner to get to. I’d have to follow up with her later in the week.

  By the time I got home, Cody was at the cabin. From the dark look on his face, I decided talk of the murder investigation could wait until later, when we were all together. Cody had something on his mind, and finding out what was causing his scowl was the most important thing at the moment. It looked like it was going to rain again, so I asked him if he wanted to go with me to take Max out before we went back into town to the grocery store.

  “So, is everything ready for the party rental folks to set up tomorrow?” I asked conversationally.

  “We’re ready. We have the set up tomorrow, the bulk of the cooking on Wednesday, the dinner and the football game on Thursday, and then you and I are going to take a minute to reconnect.”

  Uh-oh. It sounded like I’d already found the cause of the scowl. “Reconnect?”

  Cody blew out a breath that communicated his frustration. “We still haven’t set a new wedding date and my mom has been asking about our trip over Christmas. I reminded her that we’ve been busy with the Thanksgiving feast, but I promise her we’d talk and work things out once it was over.”

  That sounded fair. “How is she?”

  “She seems better. At least she sounds better when I speak to her. She’s seen her doctor and had her medications adjusted. She seems calmer. She still doesn’t remember everything that happened when she was here, but she said things were beginning to come back to her. She asked me to apologize to you for giving you such a bad time while she was here.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “I’m hoping we can get things back on track and be a family,” Cody said. “I’d like our children to grow up spending time with both their grandmothers.”

  “I want that as well,” I said. “Is there something else on your mind?”

  “I just can’t get past the feeling that my mom really did kill Sally. I don’t want to think that, and I’m trying to keep an open mind, but it seems the harder we look for answers, the guiltier she looks.”

  “I might have picked up another lead. Let’s start back and I’ll tell you about it.”

  Chapter 11

  It was raining fairly steadily by the time Cody and I made it back into town, but at least the news that I had a strong suspect who wasn’t his mother seemed to ease some of the tension from his shoulders. In my mind, Eve had motive to kill Sally and the opportunity to have been the one to make the call to frame Miranda. Now I just needed to prove it.

  “I have a list of what we need for the casserole,” Cody informed me. “Do we need anything else?”

  “Maybe something for dessert.”

  “How about blackberry pie? I’ve been craving it ever since I had a piece at the inn when I went to talk to Eric on Friday morning.”

  “The inn was serving pie?”

  “No, but Eric had a pie he’d bought somewhere in town. I was going to…”

  “Oh my gosh, if it isn’t Cody West!” a loud, high-pitched voice interrupted.

  I turned and looked toward the produce aisle.

  “Jessica.” Cody’s startled expression turned into a smile.

  I closed my eyes as the girl Cody had dated for most of his junior year in high school captured him in a lip-lock.

  “You remember Cait Hart,” Cody said after taking a step back.

  “Of course. No way I’d forget Danny’s little sister.”

  “I thought you moved to Alabama,” Cody said.

  “I did. I’m back. Been back since August. I’ve been meaning to look you up. By the way, how’s your mama?”

  Cody frowned. “She’s good.”

  Jessica actually looked relieved. “I’m happy to hear that. I was worried after the accident last week.”

  “Accident?” Cody asked.

  Jessica raised a brow. “She didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “Your mama was standing on the sidewalk out in front of the inn last week when this guy on a bicycle came barreling around the corner and slammed right into her. I was driving by and saw the whole thing. Of course I pulled over and tried to help. The guy on the bike had a huge gash on his arm that was bleeding like crazy. By the time I parked and made my way over to them, the blood from his cut was all over the front of your mama’s clothes. I
nearly died when I thought the blood was hers. I helped her sit up and realized the blood was his. Talk about relieved. She didn’t look hurt, so I helped her to her feet. She insisted she was fine, but she seemed dazed and confused. I asked her if I should call you, or maybe take her to the emergency room, but she said no, that she’d just had the wind knocked out of her. She told me she was staying at the inn and would just go inside and lay down. I felt so bad. So did the guy on the bike. He offered to pay for her dry cleaning because her pretty pink sweater was all but ruined, but she said it was old and she’d just put it in the washer.”

  “When exactly was this?” I asked.

  Jessica glanced at me. She put a finger to her chin. “I was on my way home from the dentist, so it must have been Monday of last week.”

  “And what time would you say it was?” I inquired.

  “I guess around three forty or three forty-five. My appointment was over at three thirty and I was driving home, so it would have been around then. Why?”

  “We’re trying to put together a timeline for my mother of Monday,” Cody said. “She had a mix-up with her medication and wasn’t feeling well for much of the day.”

  Jessica put her hand to her chest. “The poor thing. I knew something was off. She didn’t even recognize me at first, and we were so close back when I lived here and we were dating. I guess I should have followed up on my hunch and called you after all.”

  “I understand why you might not have if Mom asked you not to,” Cody said. “And it all worked out in the end. It does explain where she got the blood on her clothing. As it turned out, she didn’t remember when I asked her about it.”

  “Oh, the poor dear.” Jessica grabbed Cody by the hand. “That must have been so frightening for her. Is she still in town?”

  “No. She’s gone home.”

  “I’m sorry I missed the chance to catch up with her. By the way, I hear congratulations are in order.” She looked at me. “I always thought there was a spark between the two of you. Even back then. I’m happy you finally found each other.”

  “Thank you,” I said. I felt like I should say more, but I wasn’t sure what. The woman was nice enough, and she seemed genuinely happy that Cody and I were getting married, but I couldn’t help but be a bit jealous when I considered how long they’d dated.

  Cody chatted with Jessica a while longer and then we continued with our shopping. I was relieved that the blood on his mother’s clothes had been explained, and it did seem that if Jessica saw her at three forty-five and Sally had a customer at three fifty-five, it proved Mrs. West hadn’t been the one to kill her.

  ******

  “That casserole was delicious,” Siobhan said after the sleuthing gang had finished the dinner Cody and I had prepared.

  “It was mostly Cody’s doing, but it did turn out well,” I answered.

  “I bet the cheese sauce you poured over the top would be delicious over vegetables,” Siobhan said. “Maybe broccoli or cauliflower.”

  “It would be worth trying,” I agreed. “Speaking of veggies, has anyone spoken to Francine today? I meant to stop by to see if she needed anything, but then I got busy.”

  “I spoke to her,” Tara said. “Everything is on track. She’s very organized. If things go according to plan, there should be very little cooking to be done on Thursday.”

  “I agree,” Siobhan said. “Francine even told me she was planning to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Mr. Parsons, Banjo, and Summer. She figured it would be a good idea to relax in the morning because the afternoon would be hectic.”

  “Are you both planning to play in the football game?” I asked. “Cody and I are.”

  “Yes, we are,” Siobhan said. “I think Michael and Maggie are keeping score. Mom is coming as a spectator and will keep an eye on Connor.”

  “I’m going to be there, but I’m not planning to play,” Tara said. “Unless they just need a body. Danny said it was going to be close in terms of having a full team. I can’t throw or catch, but I can stand around to fill out the team.”

  “I’m playing,” Cassie volunteered. “I’m looking forward to making mincemeat out of the gang from Shots.”

  “Speaking of mincemeat,” Cody said, “Mr. Parsons requested a mincemeat pie. Francine said she’d make sure she made a couple just for him.”

  “It really is sweet the way she looks out for him,” Siobhan said. “The way you both do.”

  “Mr. Parsons is a very special man. It’s my privilege to be part of his life.”

  Once the dishes were done, we gathered around the whiteboard. Now that Cody’s mom was definitely cleared, I wondered if I even wanted to continue. It was a question I’d been asking myself a lot with this particular case. For some reason, it was really wearing on me.

  “Okay, who can we clear?” Siobhan began.

  “Eli Alderman,” Finn said. “I spoke to Sheriff Fowler today. He was able to verify Eli’s whereabouts during the death window and he definitely isn’t our guy.”

  “So that leaves Nick Enderling, Devita Colter, and the person who made the purchase at the bakery at three fifty-five,” Siobhan said.

  “We can eliminate Nick Enderling as well,” Finn said. “I guess I haven’t mentioned that his presence in Virginia has been verified. He couldn’t have killed Sally.”

  “And then there were two,” Tara said.

  “We don’t really think Devita Colter killed Sally, do we?” Siobhan asked.

  “She did have motive,” I pointed out. “I don’t think she did it. Although…”

  “Although?” Cassie asked.

  “She was kind of odd when I spoke to her.”

  “Odd how?” Cassie pushed.

  “I’m not sure. Just satisfied, I’d say, with the way things worked out. I guess in a way she should be. Her only competition is gone and she has a new partner with mad baking skills and youthful energy. But still, it didn’t seem quite right to be as happy as she was, given Sally’s dead. I don’t necessarily think she did it, but I’d leave her on the list.”

  Siobhan took a step back from the board. “Okay, so we have Devita Colter and the person who bought the cookies at three fifty-five. There has to be a way to figure out who that person was. Someone must have seen someone going in or out of the bakery.”

  I looked at Finn. “Maybe you should speak to Miranda again.”

  “Miranda?”

  “It occurred to me to ask her if she had any idea why she was set up. Why not one of the other suspects? Why Miranda?”

  “That’s a good question, and one I’ve asked myself,” Finn said. “When I last spoke to Miranda, she didn’t seem to know why anyone would want to frame her. She insisted she didn’t have any enemies and was certain she must have been selected by the killer to take the fall due to nothing more than proximity. But when I was speaking to her, I sensed something more. Something she wasn’t saying. I couldn’t get it out of her, but maybe you can.”

  “I’ll talk to her tomorrow,” I said. “You’d think if someone had tried to frame her and she suspected who it was, she’d want to have that person arrested.”

  “Perhaps,” Finn said. “Or maybe the person who framed her knows something that would get her into trouble. Not necessarily for Sally’s death, but for something else. It’s hard to say, but I won’t be surprised if we find she’s involved in some way.”

  “It would be a real twist if the killer knew they were a suspect so they sloppily framed themselves, knowing the evidence would show they were framed, which would seem to eliminate them as a suspect, even though they were guilty,” I said.

  Finn frowned. “Yes, that would be a twist.”

  Cassie laughed. “Your mind works in mysterious ways.”

  I shrugged and picked up Cosmo. “Okay, kitty. I came up with a funny twist to this mystery, but I think it’s time for you to come up with the killer.”

  “Meow.”

  “I seriously need to learn to speak cat,” I said.
<
br />   “Oh, I think you do pretty well most of the time,” Tara countered.

  I cuddled the cat to my chest and gave his neck a rub. It really had taken a lot of the pressure off now that we knew Cody’s mom was absolutely, positively off the hook. “By the way,” I said to Finn, “what was Sheriff Fowler’s reaction when you told him about our conversation with Jessica?”

  “He was reserved. Of course, he has to speak to her himself. Unless Sally was killed a lot earlier than we thought, and the purchase at three fifty-five was bogus, there’s very little chance Mrs. West could be guilty.”

  I suspected the others, like me, were ready to move on from this murder case. I decided to introduce a lighter subject while I worked through the thought that was nagging at the back of my mind. “When I told Danny this afternoon that Cody and I had run into Jessica, he told me a funny story about a Thanksgiving prank when Cody, Danny, and Jessica were in the eleventh grade.”

  Cody groaned. “We don’t need to go there. Talk about embarrassing.”

  “I remember that.” Siobhan laughed.

  I sat back and smiled. My distraction seemed to have worked. Siobhan, of course, was ignoring Cody’s pleas not to go on, and we were all laughing at the stupid things teens sometimes do in the face of a dare. It did my heart good to see everyone relaxed, though when I finally figured out what it was that had been nagging at me, my smile was replaced with a frown.

  Chapter 12

  Tuesday, November 20

  I wasn’t sure how well my attempt to maintain a neutral expression was coming off. From the meaningful glances Cody was sending my way, I’d have to say not all that well. He asked several times if something was wrong, and I replied that I was just going over the plans for the Thanksgiving dinner in my mind to ensure we didn’t forget anything and weren’t left scrambling at the last minute. I had a sick feeling I had figured out who had framed Miranda Wells, but I wanted to check it out before I said anything to him.