by Lyndsey Cole
“I think it would more likely be Penny. Their dislike for each other was quite public.”
“Kind of like yours, Tamara?”
“Well, yeah, I guess so,” she said with her spirits sinking.
Lily stood up. “See what you can find out from Candy. She may not be the most reliable source, but if you want to get out of here, we need to think creatively and follow every lead.”
As Lily walked to the door, Tamara started to talk again. “The worst part is, the only person to talk to is Candy. If I find out something, I can’t even call you and tell you so make sure you stop in again tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. I believe you’re innocent and I’ll keep working to get this figured out.” Lily pushed the edges of her lips into a goofy smile with her fingers and waited until Tamara’s face crinkled with a laugh.
Ryan was coming out of his meeting when he saw Lily leaving the visiting area. Looking around quickly to be sure no one was within earshot, he winked at her. “Hi beautiful.” With a nod of his head he added, “Follow me.”
Ryan had several items in plastic bags laid out on his desk. The leather glove, the brick, and another bag with a small piece of jewelry inside. Lily picked the bag up, looking at it carefully. “This looks familiar. Where did you find it?”
“Hooked onto the bedspread on Malcolm’s bed.”
“This matches Crystal’s necklace. The one she wore at the opening.” She handed the bag back to Ryan. “She told me she lost one of the matching earrings on Friday and wondered if anyone found it in the library after we did the decorating.”
Ryan took the bag from Lily and studied it. “How did it get from the library onto Malcolm’s bedspread?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She probably went to Malcolm’s house before we all met at the library.” Lily’s eyes widened. “I wonder if Crystal and Malcolm were having an affair and he wanted to break it off and she killed him.” She wagged her finger at Ryan. “A woman scorned is a dangerous creature. Crystal had means, motive and opportunity, just like Tamara.”
Chapter 15
After checking the time, Lily realized she needed to hustle to get to her mother’s house or they would be late for their appointment. Iris was treating Lily and Daisy to an hour of spa heaven. Whatever that meant.
Iris’s VW bug was idling in her driveway and Lily saw Iris and Daisy already waiting inside. Iris tooted her horn and waved her arm, motioning for Lily to hurry up and jump in her car.
“It’s been a busy day. Am I late?” Lily asked as she slammed the door closed after Iris was already zooming out of the driveway.
“Perfect timing. As long as the cops don’t pull me over for speeding.” Lily kept an eye on the speedometer, hovering at sixty, as they zipped through Misty Valley right past a speed limit sign that read thirty.
“Oops.” Iris laughed. “I won’t tell if you don’t. So, Lily tell us what you’ve been so busy doing. Uncover anything useful to get Tamara out of jail?”
Lily took a deep breath and leaned back into her seat, watching the houses fly by. “First, I delivered some flowers to Sara Moss at the Rosewood. Have you ever been there? It’s a lovely set up.”
Daisy turned around. “Sara Moss? Is she related to Malcolm?”
“Yup. Malcolm’s mother. She didn’t seem to understand Malcolm is dead, but I didn’t touch that subject. She was sitting with Eddie Parker’s mom, Bella, who also lives there. I tried to get some information about Eddie’s visits to Rosewood, but she was forgetful and confused about everything I asked her.”
Lily’s body was thrown against the seat belt as Iris slammed on her brakes and narrowly missed rear ending the car in front of her. Iris laid on her horn and waved her arms to get the slow poke moving faster. “Must be some old driver, poking along like it’s a Sunday afternoon sightseeing trip. Pull over,” she yelled as she hit her horn again. The car pulled to the right slightly and Iris zigzagged around as the driver in the other car raised her hand in a rude and unfriendly gesture. “Yeah, same to you.”
Daisy brought the subject back to Eddie. “Why do you want to know when Eddie was visiting his mother?”
“After his drunken rant at the opening about how Malcolm was a lying cheat, I wanted to check into his alibi for Friday night. His name was on the sign-in sheet at the Rosewood for Friday night so that puts him in the clear. My next stop was at the police station where I had a little visit with Tamara. Her cellmate, Candy, seems to know a lot of men in town and Tamara is trying to get information from her that might give one of them a reason to have killed Malcolm. I’m not convinced that will go anywhere but it gives Tamara something to focus on.”
Daisy handed Lily a piece of apple pie and a hot cup of tea. “I thought you might need a little snack before we get to the spa.”
“This looks delicious.” Lily put the travel mug of tea between her knees and took a couple of big bites of the pie, then washed it down with some tea. “You brought my favorite tea, too, the herbal peach passion.” After carefully tucking the mug between her knees again she continued, “The last visit was with Ryan and he showed me something the police found when they searched Malcolm’s house.”
“And?” Iris asked, looking at Lily in the rear view mirror.
“And, it was an earring that Crystal told me she lost on Friday night. She thought she lost it at the library but it was hooked onto Malcolm’s bedspread. How do you think it got there?”
Iris hit her steering wheel. “Sounds like some hanky panky going on between Crystal and Malcolm. Do you think she’s the murderer?”
Lily shrugged and finished the pie. “Malcolm has a history of love ‘em and leave ‘em. Maybe she followed him to his car Friday night after Tamara left, argued, and in a fit of passionate rage, smacked him with the brick. That’s what I said to Ryan. Motive, means, and opportunity.”
Iris took a sharp right turn, making Lily and Daisy lean to their left, as she pulled up to the Tranquil Spa, right on time. Zipping into a spot between two beamers, she told her girls, but was directing her comment at Lily, “No more talk of murders for the next hour. We’re going to relax and enjoy a glass of champagne, well, you two can have the champagne, and a massage to work out all the stress from the last few days. How does that sound?”
Lily nodded. “Sounds perfect. How do you know about this place?”
“Are you sure you want to know?” she asked with raised eyebrows but didn’t wait for a reply. “Walter and I came for a couple’s massage.” Her lips twitched into a big grin. “It really got him in the mood.”
Daisy got out of the car. “Thanks for that image, Mom. I’m not sure I’ll be able to enjoy this now.”
Walking inside was a treat in itself. Quiet Zen music had an immediate calming effect and the scent of lavender filled the air. Lily inhaled a deep relaxing breath and it surged all the way to her fingertips. “I could get used to this sensation.”
Iris nudged her with her elbow. “If you like this, wait till after your massage.”
A tall woman, dressed in loose, flowing clothes, met them and introduced herself, leading them to a room with three massage tables. “Make yourselves comfortable.” She placed a silver tray with two glasses of champagne on the table near them. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Candles were spaced throughout the wood paneled room giving off a new scent that Lily couldn’t identify but was delicious, none the less.
“Drink up girls. The massage won’t start until your champagne is gone.”
Lily and Daisy clinked there glassed together. “To you and Ryan,” Daisy said before savoring the amber liquid.
The hour flew by in complete peace with gentle music humming in the background. Lily wasn’t sure if she had fallen asleep for part of it because she was so relaxed by the time the massage was done and she had to make her legs carry her out to the car.
As they started to drive out, Lily recognized a car leaving ahead of them with a dent in the front fender.
“I thi
nk that was Crystal’s car. Was she spying on us? Follow her, let’s see where she goes.”
“So what did you two think of the massage?” Iris asked as they headed back to Misty Valley at a safe distance behind Crystal’s car.
Daisy let out a loud breath sinking down into her seat. “The massage was amazing. Thanks. I think I’ll treat Adam to one for a Christmas present. Well, probably a couple’s massage so I get to enjoy it too.”
Iris patted Daisy’s knee. “You will certainly enjoy it. Believe me.” Iris’s head fell backwards as she laughed at the red blush on Daisy’s face.
“Quick, pay attention.” Lily hit Iris’s shoulder and pointed to the disappearing sedan. “Crystal’s turning here. Isn’t that the road that Malcolm lived on?”
Iris slowed as she approached the intersection and they peered down the street. Crystal was pulling over to the side of the road.
“What should we do?” Iris asked Lily.
“Pull over here behind this big truck until we know what she’s going to do.” They watched Crystal exit her car, glance up and down the street, then scurry up to the front door. “She has a key and is going right in through the front door.” Lily opened her door of the VW.
Daisy reached around from the front and grabbed Lily’s arm. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to peek in the window and find out what she’s doing in there.”
“There goes the relaxing feeling, right out the door. Can’t you give it a break Lily?”
“Geez, Daisy, don’t you want to help get Tamara out of jail?”
“I guess so, but don’t do anything stupid.”
Lily waved her hand. “Of course not.”
The sidewalk was shoveled, but when Lily got to Malcolm’s house she had to wade through the snow to get around to the side. She looked down at her comfy shoes, sighed, and took the biggest steps she could until she was at the side of the house, peering in a window. This must be the living room, she said to herself, and nothing is going on here. Carefully stepping around to the back of the house, her feet getting wet and cold from the melting snow in her shoes, she found another window, barely at eye level. She squeezed between the shrubs, stood on her tippy toes and peered into what she guessed was Malcolm’s bedroom. Crystal was on her hands and knees searching the floor and feeling under the bed. Lily thought she must be looking for her earring. Crystal sat up and she turned her head, checking around the room before she stood and opened the bedside table. She removed some papers but put them back. Next, she opened the closet door and searched around inside pockets of Malcolm’s jackets. What was she looking for?
A hand curled around Lily’s shoulder and she squeaked in surprise. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it was going to burst through her chest and her knees buckled as she fell backwards into the snow.
Chapter 16
“What are you doing here?” Lily whispered once she regained her composure and picked herself out of the snow.
Nina helped brush the snow from Lily’s backside. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. I’ve been following Crystal and I wanted to find out what she’s doing inside.” They both lunged back to the window but the room was empty. “What are you doing here?”
“Same thing as you I guess. I saw her looking around that bedroom, even checking underneath the bed for something. Best I could tell, she didn’t find what she was looking for.” The front door slammed and they peeked around the corner as Crystal’s silhouette moved to her car in the dimming light.
“Let’s get out of here. I’m starting to freeze.” Lily glanced at Nina behind her. “How did you get to the back of the house? I can only find my footprints.”
“I stepped in your prints. Thanks, I managed to keep my feet dry.”
Lily opened the door of Iris’s VW. “What now?” she asked Nina.
“Nothing for me. How about some snooping around tomorrow?”
Lily nodded, climbed in the car and leaned back on the seat. “Can you turn the heat up? I’m wet and cold.”
***
Tuesday morning dawned with a threat of another storm in the air. Gray clouds hovered low leaving an ominous feeling. Lily knew what she had to do but she wasn’t looking forward to it.
First things first though, as she saw Rosie looking hopefully at her. “I know. I haven’t been spending enough time with you. Don’t give me those sad puppy dog eyes, we’ll take a walk while it’s quiet around town.” Rosie woofed and wiggled from the tip of her nose to the end of her white tail.
After dressing in layers and pulling on her boots, Lily attached Rosie’s leash and headed out her back door.
“This is perfect timing,” she heard as she just about walked smack into Ryan’s big, strong chest. “I was hoping you spent the night here for a change. I’ve missed our morning walks.” He handed Lily a mug of steaming coffee, took Rosie’s leash with one hand and wrapped his other hand around Lily’s waist. “I like this.”
She sipped her coffee before looking up at Ryan. “Me too.”
Their pace matched each other perfectly as they headed up the sidewalk to the center of town, making a loop back to Lily’s house.
“Want some breakfast?” Lily asked Ryan when they got back.
He grinned. “Will it be followed by dessert?”
“I’m not revealing all my secrets,” she answered as she unzipped her coat and yanked off her boots. Rubbing her hands together as she walked to the fridge, she asked, “How about fluffy pancakes with sautéed apples?”
“You know the way to a man’s heart, Ms. Bloom.” Ryan made himself comfortable at her kitchen table. “I only have about a half hour before I need to get over to the police station. Is that enough time?”
“Yup.” Lily got busy mixing the flour, buttermilk, baking powder and eggs together while her pan heated on the stove. “How’s Tamara doing? I visited her yesterday and she seems to like her cellmate.”
“Candy? She’s quite a character. We’re trying to get a search warrant for her apartment to find her ‘little black book’ as she calls it. She says there will be a lot of unhappy men in town if that information gets out.”
Lily poured Ryan a cup of coffee and gave him two extra-large pancakes, smothered in steaming apple slices and maple syrup. “Here you go.”
Grabbing her arm so she couldn’t get back to cooking, he pulled her into his lap. “This smells delicious. I could get used to this kind of treatment.” His lips gently brushed her neck before he released her and dug into his pancake.
When more pancakes were ready, Lily sat across from Ryan to enjoy one of her favorite breakfasts. Pancakes with fruit was a wonderful combination—sweet and tangy.
Ryan mopped up all the syrup with his last piece of pancake, leaned back, balancing on two legs of his chair and said, “I hate to eat and run, but there is the problem of work to deal with. What are you doing today?”
“Oh, nothing much,” she said dropping her head to take a bite and hide her eyes from Ryan’s prying stare.
“Good. I don’t want to be worrying about you today.” He brought his plate and cup to the sink, gave her a kiss and left for work.
Lily put the last pancake on a plate and fed it to Rosie, without the apples and maple syrup. It was gone before Lily even had a chance to rinse her plate.
A knock on her back door startled Lily. It was kind of early for any visitors, she thought. Nina’s face peeked through the window and Lily motioned for her to come inside.
“You’re up bright and early,” Lily said as she poured Nina a cup of coffee, assuming she would want one.
“I was waiting for Ryan to leave. We need to make a plan to find out what Crystal was looking for.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing but I wasn’t sure where to start until Ryan accidentally gave me a lead.”
“Oh? I thought he would be more careful than that since he doesn’t like you getting involved in this stuff.”
“I don’t think he figured out that what he told
me might be connected to the murder. And it might not be, but it’s worth checking into.”
Nina stepped over the plate on the floor. “Something is making my mouth water.”
“Sorry. I fed the last pancake to Rosie but this homemade bread makes delicious toast if you want some.” Lily held up a loaf in offering.
“I’ll take whatever is easy. Now, tell me what this lead might be.”
Lily popped two pieces of bread in the toaster and sat down at the table with Nina. “Tamara’s cellmate, Candy, kept a little black book with a lot of information about the men in town that she’s done business with. Ryan hasn’t been able to get a search warrant to search her apartment yet, but maybe we can visit Candy’s apartment and see if we can find it and check what information is inside.”
“Where is her apartment?” Nina asked as she spread butter and strawberry preserves on the toast.
“I don’t know, but I’m planning to visit Tamara and find out.” She smiled, excited about this new lead. “Ready to go?”
Nina finished the last bite of her toast and washed it down with the coffee as she carried the plate and mug to the sink. “Ready. I’ll drive.”
“First, I need to drop Rosie off at my mother’s house. It’s a little out of the way, do you mind?”
“No problem.”
***
Tamara was excited to see Lily and Nina. She leaned across the table to get as close as possible to Lily as she could. Leaning her chin on her hand and cupping it around her mouth, she said in a whisper, “Candy is afraid of what will happen if Ryan gets a hold of her little black book. Can you go to her apartment and get it and hide it somewhere?”
Lily nodded her head toward Nina. “How about if Nina does that?”
Tamara nodded and glanced around as if she expected someone to jump out of the walls. “Her apartment is above the garage at Billy Owen’s house. You know, next to the library?”
Lily nodded.
