Okay, having her sister find out she was leaving her husband and getting a divorce seemed like an odd thing to be upset about right now, but I went with it.
“Faye wouldn’t like it, would she?” I said.
Cady’s clinched her fists and her cheeks turned red.
“I hate her,” she hissed. “I absolutely hate her. This is her fault. All of it.”
I didn’t have a chance to ask what she meant because she kept going.
“All I wanted to do was make a few cupcakes for friends, for kids’ birthdays. Just a hobby. Something I could have fun with,” Cady said. “But no. That wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t big enough. Faye jumped in the middle of it—just like she jumps in the middle of everything I do. We had to start a catering company. Nothing would do but for her to take over.”
“You didn’t want it?” I asked.
“And we couldn’t have just a simple, ordinary catering company,” Cady told me. “It had to be the biggest, the best. It had to keep getting bigger and better.”
Cady was becoming more and more agitated. I got the feeling she’d been holding this in for a long time.
“Faye pressured you to do more?” I asked.
“Faye and everybody else,” Cady said. “My husband. He saw what the company was bringing in. He started in on me, too. Do more, work harder. All he cared about was that stupid catering company.”
I remembered that Faye had mentioned Cady’s husband was very interested in the catering business, which didn’t seem to make Faye happy at all.
“Neither of them cares about me,” Cady said. “They only care about how much work I do, and how much money they can make off of me.”
“So you found a boyfriend,” I said.
Cady closed her eyes for a few seconds and drew in a big breath. “Yes,” she whispered.
“You two were planning a romantic trip,” I said. “That’s why you brought the green duffel bag with you to work.”
“It was going to be perfect,” she murmured, “spending time with someone who loves me for myself, not for what he can get out of me.”
“That’s why you wanted a divorce,” I said.
“Yes, and I didn’t care what it took,” Cady said, growing angry again.
“Including killing Jeri?” I asked.
Cady froze. She looked at me as if she hadn’t understood my question. “That wasn’t my fault.”
She turned around and started sorting through the bins in the back of the delivery van, and said, “That girl at the attorney’s office shouldn’t have told Jeri what was going on. It was supposed to be confidential.”
Oh my God, was I right? Had Cady murdered Jeri?
I heard the cutlery clink as Cady dug through it, my mind spinning, fitting the pieces of Jeri’s death together.
“Actually,” Cady said, “anyone in my position would have done the same thing.”
“Murder Jeri?”
Cady spun around holding a butcher knife in her hand.
Oh, crap.
Chapter 11
“I told you that wasn’t my fault,” Cady said, pointing the knife at me. “I had to give that miserable excuse for a husband my portion of the business. I had to. It’s the only way he would agree to the divorce.”
Wow. That was a really big knife. It took me a few seconds to drag my gaze from the blade back to Cady, then another few seconds to understand what she had just told me.
“You gave your portion of Cady Faye Catering to your husband?” I asked.
“If I hadn’t, the whole thing would have dragged on for ages,” Cady said. She shook her head. “I wanted out. Now.”
A huge, missing chunk of Jeri’s murder fell into place. Jeri would have known that with Cady gone and her husband—a man Faye couldn’t stand—becoming involved, the company would likely fall apart.
“You didn’t tell Faye what you were doing?” I asked.
Cady tapped the flat of the knife against her palm. “Of course not. I couldn’t tell Faye. She’d have fought me on it—like she fights me on everything.”
“When Jeri found out what you were doing, she confronted you,” I said.
“Oh, yes,” Cady said. “Jeri was so concerned about Faye. Faye was great. Faye was wonderful. Faye would be so hurt. Faye did so much for everyone else. Faye, Faye, Faye!”
Cady made a slashing motion with the knife. I took a step back.
“The day Jeri confronted you,” I said, hoping to distract her, “did you explain how you felt?”
“I had no choice,” Cady said, waving the knife around. “Sometimes I slip into the building through the construction site next door so Faye won’t see me and start in on everything.”
A mental light bulb lit up in my head. No wonder some of the servers said they thought they’d seen Cady in the building that day—she’d actually been in there.
“I put my duffel bag in the employee lounge with the other bags to disguise it. Somebody would have noticed it in my office,” Cady said. “And it was a good thing I did because here came Jeri, hunting for me. Sent by Faye to track me down.”
I got a yucky feeling in my stomach as I realized that my presence at Cady Faye Catering that day had been one of the reasons Faye had asked Jeri to find Cady.
“Jeri found me, of course, and insisted we go into the ice room,” Cady said. “She started in on me about how she knew the details of my divorce, how awful she thought it was, how I was abandoning the business and it would be all my fault if everyone lost their job. I couldn’t take it!”
Cady hadn’t always seemed completely stable to me. I could see why the confrontation with Jeri might have pushed her too far.
I only hoped the conversation we were having wouldn’t push her too far again—especially with that butcher knife in her hand.
“And then—then—she insisted I tell Faye what I’d done,” Cady said.
“No way were you doing that,” I said.
“I tried to get away from her,” Cady said, tearing up. “I tried. I really tried. I even climbed the stairs up to that water tank to get away. But she came after me. She just kept coming.”
“So you hit her and pushed her into the water tank,” I said.
“No.” Cady shook her head frantically. “I—I didn’t push her into the water. I hit her. Not hard. I just wanted her to leave me alone. My ring scratched her face. It was an accident. I swear. But she became enraged. She tried to push me down the steps, so I—I—hit her and ran away.”
“You hit her hard,” I said.
“I didn’t mean to,” Cady insisted.
“She hit her head on something—the wall, one of those railings, something,” I said, “and she fell into the water and drowned.”
“I didn’t mean for that to happen!” Cady screamed and pounded her palms against her head, still clutching the knife.
Okay, Cady was seriously losing it. I tried to calm her down.
“It’s all right,” I said. “It was an accident. You didn’t mean for any of it to happen. I can see that. So will everyone else.”
Cady stopped screaming. Her gaze bored into me.
“You’re going to tell Faye, aren’t you?” she said.
Of course, I was going to tell Faye—I was going to tell anyone who would listen—but this didn’t seem like the best time for complete honestly.
“No!” Cady lunged at me and swung the knife. The blade sliced the sleeve of my jacket. I scrambled out of the way.
Cady screamed again, threw down the knife, and took off running. I tossed my handbag and portfolio into the van and followed her. She dodged between the vehicles parked in the driveway. I was close behind as we ran through the gate into the Brannocks’ backyard.
Servers in leprechaun costumes, the caterers, the bartenders were all busy setting up. Construction workers were stringing lights, and three guys from the florist were arranging flowers on the buffet tables. The band was tuning up. Nobody seemed to notice as Cady ran past with me close behind.
“Stop!” I shouted as Cady circled the pool. “Stop!”
I was winded, and running in three-inch pumps wasn’t easy.
Cady stopped. She was breathing hard. Maybe she was out of breath, too, or she felt safe with the pool separating us.
“Look, Cady, this whole thing is understandable,” I said, which wasn’t true, of course, but I needed to catch my breath. “You can explain everything.”
“No!” Cady screamed.
Two electricians stringing lights on the shrubbery turned and looked at us.
“Call the police,” I said to them.
“No!” Cady screamed again.
“Now,” I said to the guys. “Call 9-1-1. Hurry!”
“No!”
Cady’s scream revved up louder and louder. I turned. She was a couple of feet away, running toward me. She hit me with a full body blow. Back I went, Cady on me, and we fell into the pool.
The water closed over me. I tried to get away, but Cady held on. We sank deeper and deeper into the pool. I struggled, trying to get free. My lungs hurt. I tried to hit her, knock her off of me, but the water softened the blows.
Panic set it. Frantic, I fought, pushing her away. Nothing helped. She kept grabbing me, pulling me deeper into the water.
Something looped my waist and yanked me backward. Stunned, I exhaled as I was dragged upward. My head broke the surface and I gulped in a huge breath of air.
Oh my God, what had happened?
I spun around and saw Dan’s head bobbing in the water next to me. He caught my arm and pulled me to the side of the pool. I grabbed the edge.
“Stay here,” he said.
Dan dived under again. One of the electricians went in after him. A few seconds later they came to the surface holding Cady between them. As soon as her head cleared the water, she started screaming.
* * *
The Brannocks’ St. Patrick’s Day party was a rip-roaring success—or so it seemed as I looked out onto the backyard through their kitchen window. The police had already left, thankfully before the party guests showed up, after taking statements from everyone, gathering evidence, and taking Cady away. Nadine and Xander Brannock had given Dan and me dry clothes to change into; the electrician had gone home with everyone’s thanks.
“More coffee?”
I was seated at their kitchen table, grateful that the Brannocks’ housekeeper had made a pot just for me.
My hair was still wet, my makeup was ruined, and I had on Nadine’s yoga pants and a sweatshirt. Not a look I’d have gone for under other circumstances, but I was okay with it for now.
“Sure,” I said, and held out my cup.
She filled it and moved away as voices drifted in from the direction of their dining room. Nadine and Xander walked into the kitchen. Dan was with them. He had on what I guessed were sweats that belonged to Xander.
Detective Elliston, whom I’d seen here early but who hadn’t bothered to jump into the pool to save me, had left.
“Feeling better?” Xander asked.
“I’m good,” I said.
Neither Nadine nor Xander seemed troubled that a murderer had been at their house, that their pool was nearly the scene of another crime, or that the police had been there. They both worked in Hollywood. It was just another party to them.
“Let me know if you need anything, Haley,” Nadine said. She nodded toward the backyard. “We’d better get back out there. Xander?”
He followed her out the door.
Dan joined me at the table. The housekeeper brought him a cup of coffee, then disappeared.
“I guess I owe you for pulling me out of the pool,” I said.
Dan grinned. “All part of the service, ma’am.”
“How did you get here?” I asked.
I remembered yelling at one of the electricians to call the police just before Cady knocked me into the pool, but I couldn’t understand how Dan could have gotten to the Brannocks’ so quickly.
“I wish I could say I donned my superhero cape and flew,” Dan said, “but Elliston and I were already here questioning Faye Delaney.”
I guess I hadn’t seen their plain vanilla detective car because, like me, they’d had to park on a different street and walk over.
“You figured out what was up with Cady and her divorce?” I asked. “I was way ahead of you, wasn’t I?”
“The receptionist in Horowitz’s office was anxious to tell us everything,” he said. “By the time we got to the catering company, everybody was gone. One of the girls there told us where Faye and Cady had gone.”
“Did Faye know any of this?” I asked.
Dan shook his head. “Claimed she didn’t.”
I felt kind of sorry for Faye. She’d learned about her family problems in the worst way, and not only had she lost her business but her sister as well.
I couldn’t help wondering which troubled her the most.
I wondered, too, about the duffel bag she’d kept in her office. Had she known it belonged to Cady? Did she have any idea what Cady was up to? Did she suspect she’d killed Jeri?
Good questions, but ones I figured I could only speculate about.
There was no need speculating about whether Faye would open another catering business, however. I knew she would—hopefully, without any family involvement.
Dan and I sat at the table for a few more minutes and just as I thought we were about to have yet another middle-school moment, he rose from his chair.
“I’d better go,” he said. “Lots of paperwork to take care of.”
I nodded and got up. We walked outside. Twinkle lights illuminated the darkness. Music flowed from the backyard, joined by raised voices and laughter. I’d put together a heck of a party, all right.
“Thanks again for saving my life,” I said.
Dan just stood there for a few seconds, then said. “I wish things had turned out differently.”
“You mean you wish you hadn’t saved me?” I asked.
“I wish I weren’t leaving,” he said. “My sister lives in Fresno. Her husband died last year in a car accident. She’s having trouble with her teenage boys. I’m taking a leave of absence for a while to help out.”
“Oh.”
I hadn’t expected that I wouldn’t see him again soon—or that I’d feel so disappointed about it.
He gave me a little wave and left.
“Haley? Haley?” someone called.
Nadine hurried toward me. Beside her was a tiny gray haired woman sporting a green track suit, light-up leprechaun earrings, and a sparkling shamrock broach.
“This is my mom Lorelei,” Nadine said. “She’s very impressed with the event you put together for us.”
“Well, everything is marvelous, just marvelous,” Lorelei said. “I’d love for you to handle my next event. It’s quite large, and it’s coming up soon. Can you do that?”
I’d definitely need to redeem myself at L.A. Affairs after word got out what had happened at the Brannock event.
“I’ll have to clear it with my office manager,” I said.
“Haley works for L.A. Affairs,” Nadine explained.
“Well, of course, I should have known. Your company does wonderful work. I’ve used them before, many times,” Lorelei said. “In fact, I’m going to call Priscilla first thing in the morning. I’m going to insist that you handle our luncheon, Haley.”
I got a weird feeling.
“A luncheon?” I asked.
“Yes, our organization has an annual luncheon.”
My weird feeling got weirder.
“Perhaps you’ve heard of us?” Lorelei said. “We’re the Daughters of the Southland.”
Oh, crap.
THE END
A Haley Randolph Booklist
Dear Reader,
There’s more Haley out there! If you enjoyed this novella, check out the other books in the series. All of them are available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook editions.
The Haley Randolph Mystery
Series:
Handbags and Homicide
Purses and Poison
Shoulder Bags and Shootings
Clutches and Curses
Slay Bells and Satchels (A Christmas Novella)
Tote Bags and Toe Tags
Evening Bags and Executions
Beach Bags and Burglaries (Coming July, 2014)
Looking for even more mystery? Meet Dana Mackenzie, my newest amateur sleuth, in Fatal Debt.
If you’re in the mood for a little romance, I also write historical romance novels under the pen name Judith Stacy. Check them out at www.JudithStacy.com.
More information is available at www.DorothyHowellNovels.com. Join my Dorothy Howell Novels Facebook page, and follow me on twitter @DHowellNovels.
Thanks for giving the Haley Randolph series a try!
Happy reading!
Dorothy
Meet
Dana Mackenzie
Dorothy’s newest amateur sleuth
In
FATAL DEBT
Chapter 1
“Repo the Sullivans’s TV,” Manny said, gesturing to the print-out on his desk.
“What? The Sullivans? No way,” I told him.
“Today,” he said. “They’re too far past due. We can’t carry them.”
“Come on, Manny, not the Sullivans,” I said. “They’re nice people. They’ve had an account with us for twenty years, or something. I can’t repossess their television.”
Manny Franco who, technically, was my supervisor—though I disagreed with the disparity in our positions on many levels—lowered himself into his chair and dug his heels into the carpet to roll himself up to his desk.
“We never should have made that loan. They can’t afford it,” he said, swiping his damp forehead with his palm.
Manny was always stressed. He was only an inch taller than me—and at five-feet, nine-inches I’m tall for a girl—and outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds. He wore his black hair long and slicked back in waves. His suits always looked a little rumpled and his collar a size too small.
Duffel Bags And Drownings Page 9
