Marriage Is Pure Murder

by Staci McLaughlin

  My stomach, not quite settled after finding Bethany’s body, started to churn again. I’d dealt with the detective on a number of occasions, almost always when I’d managed to get involved in a murder investigation. While we generally had an amiable relationship, I was pretty sure he wished he’d see me less often.

  As he neared me, I could see his jaw working. He gave me a stern look. “Are you the one who called nine-one-one to report the body?”

  I swallowed audibly. “Um, yes.”

  He muttered something under his breath. “I’ll be right back,” he said to me.

  Giving him my most accommodating smile, I said, “I’ll wait for you.”

  He shook his head and walked past me. I watched over my shoulder as he approached the flower shop. He jerked his head at the officer who’d been watching me, indicating he should come along. The officer gave me a long look, perhaps trying to telepathically warn me to mind my p’s and q’s, before he and Detective Palmer both disappeared inside.

  I pushed myself to my feet, too tense to sit, and started pacing the sidewalk. Surely Detective Palmer wouldn’t think I’d had anything to do with Bethany’s death, but I knew finding the body put me squarely in the middle of his investigation. That wasn’t the place I wanted to be, especially with my wedding coming up.

  I turned to make another lap on the sidewalk but stopped short when I noticed my mom in front of me. As usual, she wore slacks and a sweater set. Her salt and pepper hair looked freshly permed.

  “Mom! What are you doing here?”

  “I heard all the sirens, but I was busy helping a customer.” Mom worked part-time at the Going Back for Seconds consignment shop that specialized in women’s apparel. Rejoining the workforce had done wonders to help her get over Dad’s death, not to mention the extra income helped supplement the small pension she relied on. “As soon as they left, I looked out the window and spotted the ambulance, and then you. I came over to make sure you were okay.” She stepped back and looked me up and down. “You’re all right?”

  “I’m fine.” I pulled my jacket tighter around me. “Too bad I can’t say the same for Bethany.”

  Mom’s eyes widened. “Has something happened to her?”

  There was really no good way to tell her. “Apparently someone killed her,” I said.

  Mom paled and laid a hand on her chest. “Who would do such a thing?”

  “I have no idea. We met at lunch to talk about my flowers and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but when I stopped by a little while ago, I found her dead in the back room.”

  Mom’s mouth dropped open. “You found the body?” She laid her hand on my arm. “Dana, you cannot get involved in a murder investigation. You have a wedding to think about.”

  I pulled my arm away. “Don’t worry. There’s no way I’m getting involved. Once Detective Palmer asks me his questions, I’m done. The Blossom Valley Police Department is more than capable of figuring out Bethany’s death without me getting in the way.”

  Mom blew out a breath. “I’m glad to hear you say that. You have enough on your plate.”

  Detective Palmer stuck his head out the door, scanning the handful of people on the sidewalk until he noticed me.

  “Lewis, I’m ready for you,” he called.

  I squared my shoulders, ready to get the questions over with. “I meant what I said,” I told Mom. “I won’t get involved.”

  She gave me a quick hug. “Good. I’ll wait for you out here.”

  I glanced toward the ambulance and saw Jason deep in discussion with the EMTs. I moved at what felt like a glacial pace as I headed for the door, hoping he’d notice me and give me a reassuring sign, maybe a thumbs-up, but he didn’t look my way.

  Once we were inside the store, Detective Palmer stepped over to the counter, notebook and pen already in his hands. Someone had turned on the overhead lights, alleviating the earlier gloom and emphasizing the beauty of the various bouquets. If I hadn’t known poor Bethany had died in this shop, I never would have guessed it.

  When I didn’t move farther into the store, Detective Palmer indicated the stool I’d sat on only hours ago, chitchatting with Bethany about my flowers. That entire conversation seemed so frivolous now. I slumped onto the stool.

  “Tell me how you came to discover the body,” the detective said.

  I told him everything, from my midday meeting with Bethany to her afternoon phone call to my arrival at the shop. The detective nodded as I spoke, interrupting only to clarify one or two comments, or to ask me for more details.

  “And how did Ms. Lancaster seem when you were with her?”

  I shrugged. “Fine. I mean, I don’t know her very well, but she was as nice and polite as always.”

  “She didn’t seem upset about anything? Or like she was distracted?”

  “Not at all.”

  Detective Palmer reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of gum. He offered me a stick. When I declined, he unwrapped one and folded it into his mouth. As he did so, he gave me a long, hard look that made my stomach do a flip-flop.

  “How about you?” he asked. “Were you upset about anything?”

  “Me?” I asked, my voice squeaking.

  “Did you find her to be a reputable business dealer, or did you feel she was charging too much for the flowers? Maybe you were dissatisfied with the service in some way.”

  I stared at Detective Palmer. He couldn’t be serious. No way could he be fishing around for a possible motive for why I would kill Bethany.

  “Of course not,” I said. “Why would you even ask that?”

  “Just getting a sense of your relationship with the victim.”

  “It was strictly a business relationship. And one I was very satisfied with.” I could hear the defensive tone creeping into my voice, but I didn’t care.

  “You two never disagreed on anything while you were conducting your business?”

  I didn’t like where this was heading one bit. I scooted off the stool and faced him. “How long have you and I known each other?”

  He held up a hand. “No need to get upset. Please take your seat.” He waited for me to sit back down before he continued. “You know I have to ask these questions, especially considering you were the one who found the body.”

  “But that was just a coincidence! I had no plans to come back tonight until Bethany called and asked me to. If I was going to kill her, which of course I wasn’t, wouldn’t it make more sense for me to kill her when I saw her at lunch? Why wait and come back tonight?”

  Detective Palmer remained expressionless. I would have paid a month’s marketing salary to know what he was thinking. “Killers aren’t known for their clear thinking. Someone may have thought waiting until the end of the day would reduce the chances of being seen, especially with darkness falling.”

  “But it wasn’t dark when I first got here,” I pointed out. “And the killer would have to worry about all the extra witnesses as people got off work. Lunchtime is definitely better for a murder.”

  Detective Palmer’s lips twitched. “I’ll be sure and remember that. As it is, we haven’t established the time of death yet,” he said. “Or found any witnesses who spoke to Bethany this afternoon. Who’s to say she didn’t die at lunchtime?”

  I felt apprehension well up, replacing the indignation. Maybe Detective Palmer didn’t know me as well as I thought he did. “I can’t have been the only person to talk to her today,” I said. Then I thought about how the flower shop door had been locked for the entire morning and Bethany hadn’t even noticed. Clearly people weren’t beating down her door for flowers.

  “We’ll see,” was all the detective said.

  I shifted on the stool. Someone must have talked to Bethany after I saw her. My eyes settled on a vase of ivory-colored roses, triggering a thought.

  “Wait!” I blurted out.

  Detective Palmer raised his eyebrows.

  “Bethany called the supplier and that’s when he told her he couldn�
�t get the flowers for my bridal bouquet, remember? That proves I wasn’t the last person to talk to her.”

  “I only have your word that that’s what happened, but we’ll pull the phone records for the shop and Ms. Lancaster’s personal cell.”

  I settled back on the stool. Once the detective saw the phone records, he’d know I was telling the truth. Of course, if Bethany had called the supplier as soon as I’d left the shop, Detective Palmer might think I’d stayed for the call and then killed her when I’d found out about the flower problem. Then again, even if she’d called much later, that didn’t prove I hadn’t killed Bethany this evening and then claimed to find the body.

  My head was starting to ache. How long until this interview was over?

  I glanced out the window and saw that Jason had returned to the sidewalk and was talking to Mom. At least I wasn’t alone in this mess.

  Detective Palmer asked a few more questions, including whether Bethany had mentioned any additional appointments for the day or if I’d seen anyone in the area when I’d first pulled up to the store. Most of my answers didn’t seem to help in the least, and he eventually tucked his notebook out of sight.

  “All right. That’s it for now. Call me if you think of anything important.”

  “Of course. I want this solved as much as you do,” I said, sliding off the stool. He grunted in response, but I couldn’t tell if it was a grunt of agreement or disbelief.

  Dashing out of the store before he could think of more questions, I almost ran into Jason as I barreled onto the sidewalk. He grabbed my arms to stop my momentum.

  “What’s the hurry?” he asked.

  I glanced back at the shop, where Detective Palmer was shutting the door. I heard the lock click. At least he was done with me. “Just glad to be out of there,” I said.

  The number of people loitering around the shop had grown while I’d been inside. The fire truck had left, but the rest of the emergency vehicles were enough to draw the after-work crowd. I started to tell Jason and Mom about my interview with Detective Palmer but stopped when I noticed a woman’s voice getting louder.

  I could only see the top of her head as she wormed her way through the crowd. “Please, get out of my way, please,” she said.

  She finally broke free, allowing me to get a good look at her. My heart sank.

  It was Bethany’s daughter, Violet. She wore a shapeless tank dress over a long-sleeved T-shirt. Unlike her mother’s perfectly coiffed hair, Violet’s long brown hair was unstyled and possibly unbrushed, providing a sharp contrast to her mother’s polished appearance.

  She didn’t acknowledge Jason, Mom, or me as she hurried up to the shop door and turned the knob. I’d heard Detective Palmer lock the door, so I wasn’t surprised when Violet couldn’t open it, but she seemed at a total loss when the door didn’t budge.

  “Why is this door locked?” she practically yelled. Then she turned to the three of us, seeming to notice us for the first time. “A neighbor called to tell me an ambulance was in front of my mom’s place. Do you know what’s going on?” she pleaded.

  Her palpable concern made my heart twist. What were we going to tell her?

  Chapter 6

  Bethany’s daughter rapped on the glass with her knuckles. I flinched at the harsh sound. Now that the sky was darkening, we could clearly see the detective and another officer working inside the lit shop.

  “Open up,” Violet said to the officers. Even though she wasn’t yelling, I was fairly certain the officers could hear her through the glass, but they didn’t acknowledge her. She tried the knob again.

  Behind me, the crowd started to murmur. Violet whirled around. “Does anyone know if my mom is okay?” She looked at each person in turn until her gaze settled on me and remained there.

  It looked like I’d be the one to tell her about Bethany.

  I stepped toward her at the same time that I noticed Detective Palmer cross to the front of the store. Relieved, I pointed to him as he reached for the knob. “I think he’ll be able to answer your questions.” He swung open the door, and the crowd fell silent.

  Violet turned to him with a beseeching look. “What’s going on? Has something happened to my mom?”

  “If you’ll come inside, ma’am, I can explain everything.”

  “Is my mom okay?” she asked again in a much quieter voice. She hesitated a moment before stepping into the shop. Detective Palmer shut the door behind her. As one, the crowd exhaled, and the volume of conversation increased as people started talking amongst themselves again.

  I shivered, cold despite my jacket. Jason pulled me close and kissed the top of my head. “Violet will be all right,” he said.

  “I just feel so bad for her. She’s about to find out her mother’s dead. I even feel sorry for Detective Palmer, who has to be the one to tell her. I wouldn’t know what to say if I were him.”

  Mom patted my back. “Detective Palmer must have done this before. I’m sure he’ll break the news to her as gently as possible.”

  I leaned against Jason and watched the activity around me. Drivers on Main Street slowed to a crawl as they gawked at the ambulance and police cars, but the crowd on the sidewalk started to break up as people realized there really wasn’t much going on. One woman stopped to ask Jason if he could tell her what was happening. He shook his head, and she moved on with a frown.

  From nearby, a man called out, “Dorothy! Hey, Dorothy!”

  I looked around and saw the owner of the Get the Scoop ice cream parlor next door waving at us from his doorway. Mom waved back, and he stepped around a couple standing on the sidewalk and joined us.

  I’d seen the owner many times when I’d stopped by for ice cream, but I’d only ever talked to him about the usual pleasantries, nothing on a personal level. He looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties with short brown hair and a noticeable pot belly that hinted at one too many samples of his own merchandise.

  “Dorothy, I thought that was you,” he said.

  “Mitch, isn’t it just terrible?”

  He raised his hands, palms up. “I don’t know what’s going on. I just got here to take over for my afternoon worker and found all these police cars. My employee was too wound up to tell me much of anything.”

  “You mean you haven’t heard?” Mom said. She eyed the nearby couple and lowered her voice. “Bethany has gotten herself killed, the poor dear.”

  Mitch’s eye twitched. “When? How? I saw her this afternoon.”

  I felt a flicker of hope in my chest. If Mitch had actually seen Bethany in person after my lunchtime visit, that was even better than tracking down the supplier who had spoken to her over the phone.

  I shifted out of Jason’s embrace. “What time was this?”

  Mitch pulled his head back, as if startled by the interruption. “And who are you, young lady?”

  Mom put an arm around me and gave my shoulders a squeeze. “This is my daughter, Dana. Dana, this is Mitch.”

  He smiled. “I should have noticed the resemblance. She’s got those beautiful blue eyes of yours, Dorothy. But I’d swear on a stack of Bibles that you’re her older sister, not her mother.”

  Good grief, was Mitch flirting with my mom? Right in front of me? And moments after finding out Bethany was dead?

  “Oh, Mitch,” Mom said, “you’re such a sweet talker.” She gestured toward Jason. “And this is my soon-to-be son-in-law, Jason,” she said with a note of pride.

  The two men shook hands. “Good to meet you,” Jason said.

  “You too.”

  Mom rubbed her hands together as if to warm them up, and Mitch said, “Let’s get you lovely ladies out of this cold and into my shop.”

  “Good idea,” Mom said. I wasn’t sure the inside of an ice cream parlor would be that much warmer than out here on the sidewalk, but at least we could sit down.

  Mom walked inside the ice cream parlor, with Mitch right behind her. I couldn’t help but notice he had a hand on her back. Mom had da
ted another man briefly after my father’s death, though the relationship hadn’t lasted. I’d come to terms with the idea of Mom dating again, but I still felt the need to keep a close eye on any man who showed interest in her. I glanced at Jason to see if he’d observed Mitch’s gesture. He had, but gave me a noncommittal shrug.

  Once inside, Mom stopped at a small, round table with metal legs and a shiny top. Three chairs sat around it. The entire parlor was done in a 50s-style theme, complete with a checkered floor and old vinyl records stuck to the walls. A jukebox waited silently against one wall.

  Mitch pulled out a chair for Mom, and Jason grabbed an extra chair from the neighboring table. We all sat down.

  “I love your shop,” Mom said as she studied the décor.

  “You’ve got the best dark chocolate ice cream in town,” Jason said.

  Mitch’s chest puffed up. “It’s because of the all-natural, top-quality ingredients I use. I can’t stand using artificial flavors.”

  On a normal day, I could talk about ice cream for hours, but this was no normal day, and Mitch hadn’t answered my question. “So, Mitch,” I said, trying to steer the conversation back around, “you were telling us that you saw Bethany earlier today. When was that exactly?”

  He laid his arms on the tabletop. “Around four. I remember because I left right after that to run some errands. Like I told you, I just got back a few minutes ago and found the police all over the place.”

  The knot that had been holding my stomach hostage since Officer Ruiz had asked me to wait on the sidewalk loosened. Mitch had spoken to Bethany after I had. While it didn’t completely clear me, since I could have killed Bethany this evening, instead of at lunchtime, at least it backed up what I’d told Detective Palmer.

  “Did Bethany usually stop in?” I asked.

  “Most days, so long as she didn’t have a lot of customers at her own place. Always ordered a small scoop of pineapple sherbet. Called it her afternoon pick-me-up.”

  “What did you two talk about?” Jason asked. “Did she give any indication there might be a problem?”