Gemma knew she’d been dismissed.
Gemma traded places with Holly and watched her friend as she talked to Officer Milken out of earshot. Other officers that had arrived later were still talking to the neighbors.
Both Nick and Ross were gone. She imagined Nick already talking to the coroner. Nick loved his job as a reporter for the local newspaper. He was friends with almost everyone in town because of that. She had no idea where Ross had gone.
“Will you drive Holly’s SUV home?” Mitch asked, never taking his eyes off of his future bride.
“Yes,” Gemma told him.
“I don’t think she should be driving right now. Were you supposed to look at more houses today?”
“No. We’re supposed to look at shops downtown tomorrow,” Gemma told him. “But that is with Esmerelda Hunt.”
“Katie’s cousin?”
Gemma nodded. “If I remember correctly they weren’t all that close, but you never know. I’ll just call and see if she wants to cancel.”
Mitch nodded. “Sounds like a good idea. We’ll come by and get the SUV later.”
He placed the keys in Gemma’s hand just as a car screeched to a halt, barely missing the police cruisers parked on the street. A miniature version of Katie Mack, perfectly coiffed blonde hair and all, leaped out of the car, screaming at the top of her lungs. She was followed closely by a much larger woman who appeared to be trying to stop her.
Gemma recognized the big woman as Esmerelda Hunt, or Essie as everyone called her in school. There were other names they called her behind her back because she was such an oddity, head and shoulders taller than everyone in their classes, big boned, clumsy and somewhat slow witted. Gemma was ashamed of that now, especially at this moment when Essie was desperately trying to keep up with the smaller woman.
“Oh, God, Katie’s mom is here,” Holly moaned. “She’s an even bigger drama queen than Katie.”
Officer Milken stepped up as if to stop the woman but she nearly knocked him down as she rushed past. It wasn’t until she reached the driveway that Gemma realized Katie’s mom was headed straight for her and she had murder in her eyes.
“Aunt Cheryl,” Essie shouted, struggling to catch Katie’s mom. “Aunt Cheryl, stop.”
“You!” Cheryl Mack screamed as she raced toward Gemma, talons out, eyes wild, hair coming loose. “My baby killed herself because of you.”
Chapter Five
Gemma simply stood there, mouth open and staring in disbelief.
Just before Cheryl reached Gemma, Mitch yanked her backwards out of reach, almost pulling her off her feet. Essie grabbed her screaming aunt and finally led her away, her voice a steady drone as she tried to calm her down.
“They had a big fight. He wanted to break up with my sweet baby, all because of you,” Cheryl continued to rant as Essie half dragged her away. “He broke her heart. He was the love of her life and she just couldn’t bear losing him.”
“What is she talking about?” Gemma asked Holly, who had come to her side.
By this time Cheryl had flung herself across the hood of Katie’s car, sobbing hysterically.
“She’s just upset,” Holly said. “Had to take her frustration out on someone and you were the closest person she could find.”
“Come on, let’s get out of here. This is turning into a circus,” Mitch said, keeping an eye on Cheryl Mack as he led Gemma and Holly away from the scene.
Gemma climbed behind the wheel of Holly’s SUV, adjusted the seat so she could reach the pedals and turned the key. She kept one eye on Cheryl Mack and Essie as she backed out of the street to the corner and drove away. Mitch followed in his car with Holly by his side.
At home, Gemma simply sat in the quiet car for a moment, resting her head on the steering wheel. She couldn’t get the sight of Katie’s mom, running toward her like a wild animal, out of her mind.
She took a deep breath and her thoughts wandered to Ross. How was he going to deal with giving up the reins and having an out of town detective run the case? Was he really breaking up with Katie? Were they an item to begin with? She shrugged off that thought. Perhaps she should call him just to check. She’d made it a point not to call or contact either of them since Valentine’s Day but this was different. She would just ask him if he was okay and then...
Gemma reached for her phone, still debating whether to make the call or not. At least she didn’t have to wonder how it would feel seeing him and Nick again. That was over and more awkward than she could have ever imagined.
A shadow appeared in the window right beside her and she turned. The face in the window was a witch with her mother’s smile. Recognizing her Aunt Maisy hit her at the same time but she still clamped both hands over her mouth to stop from screaming.
“Are you okay, dear?”
Gemma opened the heavy door and stepped out. Her legs were shaking.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Aunt Maisy said quickly. “But when you didn’t get out of the car I thought something was wrong.”
“I was just catching my breath,” Gemma gasped.
“I’m sure you’ve had a busy day,” Maisy continued in her soft, soothing voice.
“You have no idea,” Gemma breathed.
“Well, come inside and tell me all about it. I made a casserole for dinner. I hope you like tuna,” Maisy said.
The house smelled wonderful. Gemma detected the aroma of crusty fresh baked bread and garlic. Aunt Maisy must have gone grocery shopping.
“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” Gemma said, noting that the table was already set for two.
“No trouble at all, dear. You need to eat. You’re thin as a rail,” Maisy said, bustling around the kitchen filling their plates, pouring iced tea into glasses. Her long, purple dress swirled and swished around her as she moved. She still wore her tall, pointy black hat.
Gemma laughed in spite of herself. First, she and Holly find their real estate agent dead and then she comes home to dinner having been cooked by a long lost aunt dressed like a witch. Could this day get any stranger? Of course, she wasn’t about to tell her aunt about what appeared to be a murder.
The casserole was delicious, filled with chunks of tender tuna, tasty peas and perfectly cooked noodles. It was topped with lots of gooey cheese, Gemma’s favorite part, and crunchy garlic croutons.
“I’m sorry you had to buy groceries,” Gemma said. She knew for a fact there had been no peas in the house. “I wasn’t expecting company.”
“Never you mind about that,” Aunt Maisy said. “Do you like it?”
“It’s delicious,” Gemma said.
“I’m not the cook your mother was but I try,” Maisy said, standing to place her own plate and glass in the dishwasher.
“So, Aunt Maisy, how long are you going to be in town?” Gemma asked, scraping the last of the cheesy deliciousness from her plate before her aunt took it away.
“Oh, I don’t have any real plans. I never stay in one place too long,” Maisy said, rinsing out the sink and wiping the countertops.
“How come?”
Maisy shrugged slender shoulders under the dress. “Just not that good with people, I guess. I seem to somehow make enemies without even trying.”
Gemma shivered, remembering the look in Cheryl Mack’s eyes as she flew up the sidewalk toward her, accusing her of being responsible for Katie Mack’s murder. She understood that feeling all too well.
“How did you find me anyway?” Gemma asked.
“It wasn’t hard. I actually tracked you down through your business, HealthGems.”
“Really?” Gemma’s head shot up in surprise.
Aunt Maisy placed a slice of chocolate cake in front of her. “Dessert.”
“So you didn’t have any problem finding the address when you got into town?” Gemma asked, remembering what she’d overheard between the two police officers.
Her aunt hesitated for a moment and then shook her head. “No, not really.”
The cake was moist and tender and the icing just sweet enough. It reminded her of her mother’s love of baking.
“I hope you plan on staying at least a few days,” Gemma said, suddenly grateful to have family in the house again. “I’m pretty busy but it would be fun to catch up on things.”
“Thank you,” Aunt Maisy said, her blue eyes glittering with tears. “That means so much to me.”
The black cat had been curled up sleeping on the rug in front of the sink. He lifted his head and meowed.
“I’m thinking he’s in agreement with that.”
Both women laughed.
After dinner, Gemma helped her aunt get settled in the guest bedroom, which had at one time been her father’s office. Deciding she didn’t really need an office, Gemma worked mostly from her tablet or laptop, this was the first room she had redecorated. The heavy wood bookshelves had been taken down and the dark paneling had been painted a lovely spring green color. She had taken down the wooden blinds and put up curtains with a lively floral print.
Those improvements along with the eyelet lace bed skirt and matching bedding made her smile. A small chair with a table and a lamp added to the coziness of the room at and she found a small dresser at an antique store that seemed to fit right in with the shabby chic décor. Her mother would have loved it. Best of all, it seemed to be the perfect room for Aunt Maisy.
The black cat that had been wandering in and out of the room all evening, finally hopped onto the foot of the bed. He turned around a couple of times, curled into a ball, tucked his tail around himself and went promptly to sleep.
“Well, someone made themselves right at home pretty quickly,” Gemma laughed. Stroking the inky black fur.
“He did indeed.”
Gemma had just finished putting fresh towels in the guest bath when the doorbell chimed for the second time that day. She looked up in surprise and she caught sight of herself in the bathroom mirror. Some long strands of her hair had slipped free of her pony tail and she tucked them back inside as best she could.
She knew it wasn’t Holly at the door. They’d spoken on the phone just moments before, trying to decide what to do about their meeting with Essie Hunt the next day. Should they call and cancel? Just not show up? Surely, she was busy helping Katie’s mom with funeral arrangements. In the end they couldn’t decide. Both of them were too tired and they decided to put that decision off until the next morning.
She heard a man’s voice, muffled and unrecognizable but definitely male, and her aunt. Gemma’s nervousness ratcheted up a notch. Aunt Maisy had answered the door and let someone in the house. It might be Nick or Ross or a stranger. She’d have to talk to her about that.
“Gemma,” Aunt Maisy was coming down the hall, purple dress swishing softly around her legs “There’s a young man here to see you.”
Gemma closed her eyes, fought down the panic and stepped out into the hall. “I’ll be right there,” she said, wincing when she saw that Maisy was still wearing her witch hat.
That was something else she was going to have to bring up as soon as she got to know her aunt better. Why was she dressed like a witch? Gemma chided herself for being unable to just confront the problem head on, say what she thought. Holly would have already asked that question, along with more than a dozen others.
“I’ll be in my room to give you some privacy,” Aunt Maisy whispered with a conspiratory smile and a wink and then disappeared around the corner.
Unable to delay another moment, Gemma headed for the living room. It wasn’t Nick or Ross but a stranger sitting on her sofa, doing something with his cell phone. He looked like he’d walked right out of a detective novel. Clean shaven with his hair was neatly trimmed, parted on the side, he wore a dark gray suit, a purple shirt and a gray and purple tie. All he needed was a fedora to complete the look.
“Hello, I’m Gemma Stone,” she said.
He was on his feet immediately, a friendly smile spreading across his lean, tanned face. He had almost perfect teeth and pale blue eyes.
“Sorry to bother you so late, ma’am. I’m Detective Darren Gilmore with the Harrisonburg PD,” he held out his hand.
Gemma shook it and forced her own smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“I came to ask you a few questions about today,” he added.
Gemma nodded. She hadn’t been expecting him until the next day and, in reality, hoped this could happen at the police station instead of right in her home. Perhaps he was just eager to get the case solved and get back to his own jurisdiction. Either way, she wanted to answer his questions and get him out of her house as soon as possible.
“Please have a seat.”
He returned to his spot on the sofa and she took the chair opposite. Gemma expected him to pull out his little notebook but he simply relaxed and studied her a moment, his air of authority bordering on arrogance, before he began talking.
“So you had an appointment with the victim this afternoon,” he prompted.
“Yes. My best friend, Holly Blake, and I were supposed to meet Katie so she could show us the house. Holly and her fiancé are looking to buy soon.”
“Why wasn’t he with her?” he asked.
“He was in court, I believe,” Gemma explained. “He wanted us to look at some houses, narrow the list down and then they would go look at them again together.”
The detective seemed to think about this for a moment. “Go on” he said.
“We got there a little bit early, I think,” Gemma said, trying not to look at that purple shirt. “The door was partially open. We went inside and called out to her. She didn’t answer so we just started looking around.”
“How did you know she was even there?”
“Her car was in the driveway,” Gemma told him, swallowing hard as she remembered seeing the red Mercedes glittering in the sunlight.
He motioned for her to continue.
Gemma liked this guy less and less by the minute. “We called out to her and she didn’t answer so we just went in and started looking around. We figured she’d hear us and come downstairs.”
“How did you know she was upstairs?”
“We didn’t know where she was,” Gemma said, sounding more impatient than she meant.
“Okay.”
“So we looked around downstairs and then went upstairs. And, yes, we touched doorknobs and furniture and railings,” Gemma added.
“That house has been on the market for a month and she showed it regularly, so fingerprints are going to take a while,” he said.
Sitting quietly, he waited for her to continue. Gemma assumed these silences were designed to make her nervous. It was working.
“Upstairs we looked around a bit and then went into the master bedroom. That’s when Holly found her in the closet.”
“There was no real sign of a struggle, but the bed was rumpled. It looked as though someone had been lying on it,” he said quietly.
Gemma cleared her throat. It looked like a whole lot more than that had happened on that bed but Gemma wasn’t about to tell him that. “I was lying on the bed.”
He raised one dark eyebrow.
“The bed was really huge and I was on it teasing Holly about...”
“About?”
Gemma took a deep breath. The room was suddenly much too hot and her face felt like it was on fire. “About making babies.”
No response but he continued to sit quietly and watch her.
“And that’s all I know,” Gemma said. To make sure he got the hint, she stood up.
“I understand she was dating Detective Ferguson,” he said, remaining seated.
“Perhaps. I don’t know much about Ross...Detective Ferguson’s private life.”
“Didn’t he date you for a while?”
“Something like that,” Gemma said, crossing her arms in front of her.
“I’ll bet you were upset when he started seeing her,” he continued.
“Not really,” Gemma lied, not liking the di
rection this was going at all. “Now, sir, it is late and it’s been a trying day...”
“You’re right,” he said, finally standing. “I just wanted to talk to you while the events were fresh in your mind. Your friend Holly flatly refused to talk to me.”
Gemma nodded. That was Holly, all right. She should have done the same thing.
“That should do it for now, anyway.” He moved toward the door and Gemma followed, eager to get him out of her house. “Just lock your doors and be safe. Ms. Mack was definitely murdered - strangled, we believe. That’s up close and personal and probably by someone close to her. I would hate to see the same thing happen to you.”
“What is that supposed to mean, Detective?” Gemma asked.
“You were both involved with Ross Ferguson. Think about it.”
Chapter Six
Detective Gilmore disappeared into the darkness before Gemma could respond. She stomped back into the house, slammed the door and locked it. Ross would never...
“Are you okay, dear?”
Gemma nearly jumped out of her skin when she came face to face with her Aunt Maisy.
“I’m sorry, I startled you again, didn’t I?” she asked, looking as if her heart would break.
“No, it’s fine. I’m just not used to anyone else being in the house,” Gemma said and for the first time reached out to hug her aunt. She smelled like lavender and in spite of her small frame, she hugged Gemma back fiercely.
“Let’s get some sleep. It’s been a long, long day,” Gemma said, turning off lights as she headed for the stairs. “If you need me during the night just yell.”
“I’ll be fine,” Aunt Maisy said as she turned toward the guest room. “Sleep well, my dear.”
The next morning Gemma awoke to the wonderful aroma of coffee brewing and bacon frying. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming, but then she opened her eyes to windows filled with gray dawn.
Aunt Maisy. Her mother’s only sister, probably the only family she had left in the world, had walked into her life the day before.
Gemma turned over, buried herself deeper under the covers and tried to go back to sleep but the delicious smells coming from the kitchen lured her out of bed. She snatched her robe off of the chair at the foot of her bed and padded downstairs to find her Aunt Maisy in the kitchen.
Home Sweet Homicide: A Cozy Mystery (A Gemma Stone Murder Mystery Book 5) Page 3
