Are the murders of Melissa Nortenson and Trevor Lane related?
Why did Jennifer disappear from the store when Trevor and Dougie showed up?
Who has been breaking into Chatterley Heights businesses, and why? Do the break-ins connect in any way with the murder?
“Okay, what do you think of this list? Anything we should add?” Olivia handed her notebook and pen to Maddie.
“Looks like a lot of work to me,” Maddie said as she skimmed through the list. “Interesting work, though. Give me some time, I’ll see what I can come up with.” Maddie began to scribble rapidly. “This is why I use a computer,” she said. “Pens run out of ink without any warning.” She tossed the pen aside and switched to the computer.
Olivia felt impatient and very anxious for news about Stacey. She longed to corner suspects and shake information out of them. But she knew it wouldn’t work. They needed cool heads and, of course, a plan of action. Olivia drained her coffee and finished off a cookie, which only increased her agitation. Settling at her desk, Olivia tried to remember what her mom had taught her about calming and centering her mind. Wasn’t she supposed to breathe deeply or something? She tried it. Her heart rate slowed a bit, and her chattering mind grew quieter, quieter….
“Livie, how can you nap at a time like this?”
Olivia’s head jerked upright. “I was meditating.”
“Well, don’t do it again. Meditation makes you cranky.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Olivia said. “Get back to work.” Her eyes closed of their own accord.
“Livie, wake up. You can catch up on sleep later.”
“What time is it?”
“You were snoozing for about twenty minutes,” Maddie said. “Did you know that you snore?”
“Do not.”
Maddie grinned. “Okay, I lied, but I had you going there. I hope you’re refreshed, because it’s planning time.” She thrust the laptop computer toward Olivia. “These are my additions to the list. I think you’ll agree I can pull my weight in this sleuthing caper.”
What’s with the gavel cookie cutter brand on Trevor’s cheek, and the cookie in his mouth? Symbolic of justice and humiliation? Are they false clues? Just plain mean? Really, why bother? And where did the cookie cutter come from?
Did Wade sneak the gavel cookie cutter into the dishwasher when Stacey wasn’t looking? (Assuming Snoopy’s rumor was true, which it probably isn’t.) Stacey is sharp. If she knew the incriminating cookie cutter was in the dishwasher, she’d have taken it out before she left the house unattended. Wade, however, would be dumb enough to forget about it.
How did Trevor’s body get onto The Gingerbread House porch? Wouldn’t that take two people? Or one really strong man? And why our porch? (Again, Wade is an idiot, so he might not think about the risks.)
Is someone feeding rumors to Binnie Sloan’s blog?
How did Melissa Nortenson really die?
“These are terrific questions,” Olivia said, scanning Maddie’s additions. “Now comes the really hard part: How do we find the answers to these questions in a very short time? Your engagement party is tomorrow afternoon.”
“As it happens, I know the answer to the last question,” Maddie said. “I found another online mention of Melissa’s death. It’s a site that caters to aficionados of old, unsolved mysteries, so I can’t vouch for its accuracy. Bearing that in mind, the blogger says that Melissa was mildly brain damaged, as we’ve heard. She was also very pretty and rather free with her favors, though only if she liked the boy. Melissa died in 1993 from a broken neck. She was found at the base of a cliff by her nine-year-old sister, Jennie, who had slipped out of the house early that morning to find her older sister before their parents discovered her absence.”
“That poor child.” Olivia felt her limbs go limp as she imagined the young girl finding the lifeless body of her beloved older sister. “It sounds as if Melissa made a habit of meeting boys in secret.”
“Apparently,” Maddie said. “Here’s the really interesting part…. There was only one response to the original post. The response said that two high school boys were questioned in connection with the murder. Their names were withheld because neither was charged. There wasn’t enough evidence, although both had been seen several times in Melissa’s company.”
“Interesting,” Olivia said. “So…Trevor and Dougie? Of course, we can’t assume this information is accurate.”
“Nope. It’s worth noting that I didn’t find this information anywhere else. The newspapers reported Melissa’s death as a possible homicide. Suspects were questioned and released.”
“Any idea when the original post first appeared?”
“Good question,” Maddie said with a grin. “Naturally, I have an answer. It was in 2008, on the fifteenth anniversary of Melissa Nortenson’s death. Livie, what if Jennifer posted this along with that first article?”
“It’s possible….” Olivia sank back in her chair to think. “Thanks for tracking this down. You are officially a genius. This feels important, only I’m not yet sure what it means. Let’s leave it to compost for now and go back to our notes.”
Maddie scanned the questions, frowning. “We did leave Stacey completely off the suspect list. Is that wise?”
“Maybe not, but I’m assuming Del and Cody are investigating Stacey and Wade exhaustively. Our job is to create reasonable doubt.” Olivia pointed to the reference regarding Snoopy Sam’s rumor. “I’ll bet I can get the answer to this one,” she said. “Give me a minute.” Olivia flipped open her cell and speed-dialed Sheriff Del Jenkins. She was sent to voice mail yet again. “Hi, Del, it’s me. I know you’re busy, but I wanted you to know that Sam Parnell is going around town claiming that Stacey Harald tried to clean the gavel cookie cutter by running it through her dishwasher. Sam hinted the police found blood or something else on the cutter. Maybe in the seams? Del, please let me know if Sam is telling the truth, or if he is doing his usual hatchet job on an innocent friend of mine. This is really important to me. Call anytime; Maddie and I are just prepping cookies at breakneck speed for the extravaganza tomorrow. Any chance you can still come to the party with me? Thanks, Del. I miss you.”
“Ooh, nicely played,” Maddie said.
“I really do miss him.”
“Well, of course you do. I meant the whole outraged-for-Stacey tone, plus the part about how we’re baking and decorating cookies, rather than interfering in a police investigation. Think Del will fall for it?”
“Oh, he’ll be suspicious,” Olivia said with a light laugh. “But he won’t leave me hanging. He knows how we feel about Stacey.”
The kitchen door creaked, and Olivia instinctively sat on her notebook. “Who is it?” Olivia sounded more demanding than she’d intended.
“Livie? It’s just me.”
“Mom?”
The door wedged open, allowing Ellie Greyson-Meyers’s slight form to slip into the kitchen. “I’m so sorry if I alarmed you two, but I knew how intensely focused you would be right now. I didn’t want to startle you into squirting…” Ellie’s gaze had taken in the table, cleared of all but a few drying cookies. “Are you…taking a break?”
“Mom, am I ever glad to see you.” Olivia pulled out a kitchen chair, and said, “Sit.”
Ellie sat as instructed. “I realize you are distracted, Livie, but have you perhaps confused me with Spunky?” Ellie had shed her power suit and liberated her hair, which hung loosely down her back. In her ankle-length calico skirt and long-sleeve knit top, she projected comfort and serenity.
“Don’t be silly, Mom. Spunky isn’t allowed in the kitchen. Although now that you mention it, you’re both teeny tiny with hair that always needs trimming, and you both—”
“My, my, such a light, carefree attitude,” Ellie said. “Does this mean you have solved the murder of Trevor Lane and saved your dear friend Stacey Harald from a life on the run?”
Olivia capitulated with an exaggerated sigh. “No, Mom, and we a
re running out of time before Maddie and Lucas’s engagement party.”
Maddie added, “It’s not really about the party, Ellie. We won’t feel much like celebrating with all of this still up in the air. So you’ve heard Snoopy Sam’s latest rumor?”
“I have heard Sam’s rumor,” Ellie said, “and dismissed it.”
Olivia’s cell phone sang out the opening lines of “Chapel of Love” yet again. Olivia groaned.
“Sorry,” Maddie said. “I promise I’ll change that to something dirgelike.”
As the tune began a second time, Olivia grabbed her cell and checked the caller ID. “It’s Del,” she whispered. “Hi, Del. Thanks for getting back to me so fast. I don’t mean to be a pest, but—”
“Not possible, Livie. Anyway, I understand. You’re worried about your friend and—” The blast of a car horn drowned out Del’s words.
“Hey, are you driving? What have I told you about calling me when you’re driving?” Olivia heard a distinctive snicker and glared at Maddie.
“That it makes you anxious, and I wouldn’t want to make you anxious, would I?” Del said. “However, I reasoned that your anxiety about Stacey might be a wee bit stronger than your concerns about me driving while talking on my official police cell phone. It would be different if I were texting. Which I would never do except in a dire police emergency.”
“Is there any other kind? But you’re right: I’m worried about Stacey. Just try not to have an accident until I hear everything you learn. And next time, take a squad car so the other drivers slow down and pay attention.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Del said. “It’s good to know you care. Now about that cookie cutter in her dishwasher. The rumor is partly true. We did find a gavel-shaped cookie cutter mixed in with a load of clean dishes in her dishwasher.”
“Oh no! What about—”
“Don’t panic yet, Livie. I said the rumor was only partly true, and Sam stretched it even more if he claimed there was blood in the seams.”
“There wasn’t any blood in the seams?” Olivia saw Maddie’s face light up. “What else did he get wrong?”
“We aren’t convinced it’s the same cookie cutter used to brand Trevor. I mean, it’s definitely the exact same shape, and it looks well used. It had been cleaned but not by a dishwasher, at least not recently. We did find traces of dirt in the seams. We expected to see evidence that the edges had been exposed to heat and…”
Olivia guessed he was hesitant to say “flesh.” “I get the point. Thanks, Del. So you think someone planted a second gavel cutter in Stacey’s dishwasher? Wouldn’t it have been more convincing to plant the real cookie cutter used to brand Trevor?”
“Probably,” Del said. “Maybe he or she isn’t knowledgeable about forensics.”
Or has no respect for police competence…
“By the way, Livie, this will all be general knowledge soon, even though we tried to keep it under wraps. And before you assume we police are hard-hearted and manipulative, we did quietly let Stacey know the cookie cutter evidence looked bogus. She promised to keep quiet. Since you didn’t know, and neither did Sam, Stacey must have kept her word.”
“Of course she did,” Olivia said.
“One more thing before I sign off,” Del said. “We never released any information to the public about the cookie cutter in the dishwasher.”
“But who would…? Oh.” The truth hit Olivia a second before Del confirmed it.
“Yep. We suspect that whoever sent that rumor into the world might be the person who murdered Trevor Lane. That part is just between you and me, Livie. Be careful.”
“Any idea who passed the rumor on to Sam Parnell?”
“He claims he was sitting in the park reading the paper when he overheard someone on a cell phone. He couldn’t describe the voice or remember the exact words used. He didn’t look around to see who might have been speaking. All in all, Sam is a lousy witness, so it’s anyone’s guess what really happened.”
“Or how much Sam embellished or made up,” Olivia said.
“Or if someone fed him the informa—” The blast of a car horn drowned out the remainder of Del’s comment. “Sorry, Livie, some idiot cut in front of me without a signal. Anyway, keep your ears open and do not take any chances.”
“Will you make it to Bon Vivant tomorrow afternoon?”
“I plan to,” Del said. “I’ll probably be late, though. Don’t worry about Stacey right now. Just focus on Maddie and Lucas’s party. Okay?”
“Understood.”
“Why don’t I feel reassured?”
“Bye, Del.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Mom, are you sure you’ll be okay minding the store?” Olivia asked as she and Maddie prepared to go AWOL during the workday.
“Of course, Livie. The store will be open for only a couple more hours. Bertha is here to manage things, and Jennifer will be there, too. I will probably have time to work on some decorations for the party tomorrow. Bertha said she and Jennifer will be alone in the store tomorrow morning, as well.” Ellie said. “Shall I come in and help them?”
“Could you, Mom? You aren’t skipping too many yoga classes, are you? You know what that does to you.”
“I attended an extra class yesterday. I’m certain the customers will be safe in my presence.”
Olivia gave her mother a grateful hug. “You’re a lifesaver, Mom. Thanks.”
“You may reward me with cookies,” Ellie said with an impish grin.
“Done. Call if you need me, and definitely call if you hear anything about Stacey or…”
“Of course. You will be careful, won’t you, Livie?”
“Don’t fuss, Mom. We’re going to chat with a few people, that’s all.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re taking Spunky with you for protection.”
When he heard his name, Spunky yapped and wriggled to free himself from Olivia’s encircling arm. “I’ll let you down as soon as we’re outside, Spunks.” Olivia was glad her mother felt comforted by the little Yorkie’s protective persona, but Olivia was counting more on his charm. She had no intention of exposing her pooch to danger.
Ellie opened the kitchen’s back door. Maddie poked her head out to check the alley behind the store. “All clear,” she said. “No sign of Binnie…or of Ned’s camera.”
“Come on, team: time to roll.” Olivia stepped into the alley. As soon as she lowered Spunky to the pavement, he tried to run. Olivia was familiar with his instinctive need to take off, so she kept a firm hand on his leash. She waited to hear her mother lock the door behind them before allowing Spunky to pull her down the alley.
“I already forgot,” Maddie said, rushing to keep up. “What’s first on the agenda?”
“First, we avoid attention while we head for the car,” Olivia said. “Then we drive to Chatterley Paws for an impromptu visit with Lenora Dove and her dear bereaved friend, Dougie Adair. While you were talking to Bertha about watching the store, I quickly called Gwen Tucker. She said Lenora and Dougie are watching an old movie on DVD, and she promised not to mention we were coming. Gwen warned me that Dougie is making noises about flying back to Los Angeles. I want to get to him first.”
“Won’t it look suspicious if he leaves town during a murder investigation?” Maddie asked. “Trevor was supposed to be his best friend.”
Olivia put her finger to her lips as they reached the side street where she always parked her car. “Gwen said Del told him to stick around,” she whispered, “but Dougie claims he has to make arrangements for Trevor’s Hollywood memorial. I’m not sure what that means exactly, but I don’t think it makes Dougie look guilty of murder. He might be a man who is mourning his best friend’s death, feels trapped in a small town, and wants to go home. Anyway, unless there’s evidence against him, it’ll be tough to make him stay here for long.”
Olivia led the way to her PT Cruiser and unlocked the doors. For once, she barely noticed the spicy scent as she opened the door. Maddie slid into t
he passenger’s side, and Spunky willingly settled on her lap.
Olivia drove through an alley to avoid the street around the busy park. Within minutes, they were beyond the Chatterley Heights town limits, heading west toward Chatterley Paws. Gwen and Herbie Tucker had recently relocated their veterinary clinic and animal shelter to an old farm.
“Okay, let’s get to the specifics,” Maddie said. “Shall I search Dougie’s room while you keep him distracted? I can say I’m taking Spunky on a play date with some of the shelter dogs.”
“Good heavens, no. I want you to charm Lenora and Dougie.”
“That goes without saying, but what else?”
“Maddie, I really don’t have this plotted out step-by-step. We need to keep in mind our list of questions. I do desperately want to know more about the death of Dougie’s wife. Also, about his friendship with Trevor…They were friends in high school, played football together, and they continued their relationship until Trevor’s death. And yet Trevor treated Dougie like something between a slave and a bodyguard.”
“Almost like a handler,” Maddie said. “You know, like someone who takes care of everything for you, makes everything turn out right no matter how badly you’ve messed up.”
“Or someone who makes things go away,” Olivia said. “Inconvenient things.”
“Are you thinking Dougie knows too much about Trevor’s secrets? But wouldn’t that give Trevor a reason to murder Dougie, not the other way around?”
Olivia slowed down as the new fence around the Tucker property came into view. “I suspect it went both ways, that they knew each other’s secrets,” she said. “Dougie might know a good deal about Howie, too.”
“Ooh, the possibilities.” Maddie ruffled Spunky’s ears. “What about Lenora?”
“We’ll need to take whatever she says with a shakerful of salt,” Olivia said as she pulled up to the Tucker barn. “On the other hand, at some point it might be helpful if you took Lenora off for a glass of wine. You know how much she likes her wine.”
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