by V. M. Burns
“You kept saying something seemed off, but I still don’t understand.”
“It’s the watch. When I saw Keri Lynn at the dog show, she was wearing an expensive watch, a diamond Rolex. Dallas has a matching one. But the woman on the video wasn’t wearing an expensive watch. She had on a cheap plastic watch. But it was the arm. She had the watch on the wrong arm. Keri Lynn was left-handed. Left-handed people almost always wear a watch on their right arms. The woman I saw murdered had her watch on her left hand. So…”
“She was right-handed.”
I nodded. “Exactly, and Heather was right-handed. I remember her mentioning it.” I smacked my forehead. “How could I be so stupid? She also wasn’t wearing the fancy wedding ring Keri Lynn had. The woman I saw murdered didn’t have a ring on.”
“What about the man?”
I took a moment to think. “He was wearing a watch, a big, fancy, expensive watch.” I smiled.
Dixie smacked the table. “We need to call Red and let him know.”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“Why not?”
I sighed. “Look, Red went out on a limb for me. He went to Pet Haven and accused Dallas of murder even though there was no body. He sent forensics teams to review the kennel, and now it looks like Keri Lynn was alive the entire time.” I stared at Dixie. “I can’t turn around now and say, ‘Oh, I made a mistake. It was Heather I saw murdered and not Keri Lynn’ with no other proof than the fact she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring and had her watch on her right arm. They’ll make him a laughingstock.”
“Okay, so we need to get proof.”
“Madison said Heather had a family emergency and she’s been gone since Sunday.”
“Convenient. Does that make Dallas a serial killer?”
“We don’t know that he killed his wife. According to Red, she was in the car alone. Unless…”
“What? I can see the wheels turning.”
“Unless he drove up to Georgia and did something to her car.”
“Something like what?”
I shook my head. “Beats me. I don’t know anything about cars. But I remember seeing something on television, I think it was on Murder, She Wrote.” I paused to try to remember exactly which show it was, but I couldn’t and gave up. “Anyway, the killer knew his victim had to drive down a really steep mountain drive with lots of curves and turns. So he cut some kind of rod.”
“What happened?”
I thought back. “I think the car worked fine at first, but then, after a while, the rod thingy broke and the driver couldn’t control the car around the turns. It went over a cliff into the ocean.”
“Do we know if Dallas Simpson knows anything about cars? He doesn’t strike me as the type to get his hands dirty.”
“I don’t know.”
“But if she was in Georgia and he was in Chattanooga, would he have had the time to do it?”
“Good questions.” I thought things over. “I guess we need to figure out how far away she was, but…” I turned to stare at my friend. “He was supposed to be at Pet Haven yesterday. David and I were supposed to meet him.” She already knew about my plan to volunteer to do the books, so I filled her in on David asking to shadow him for a role he was going to play. “Everything was all arranged, but when we arrived yesterday, we were told he had a family emergency and had to leave.”
“So he had the opportunity.”
I nodded.
“If that’s true, he’s killed two women.” She looked at me. “How many people do you have to murder before you’re considered a serial killer?”
“I have no idea.”
“Why do you suppose he did it?”
“Maybe Heather wanted him to leave his wife. Maybe Keri Lynn found out he was having an affair.” I picked up my phone and quickly typed a text message.
“What?”
“I just suggested David invite Madison to dinner tonight.”
“Madison?”
I forgot Dixie didn’t know Madison, so I explained who she was and that I thought there were a few sparks going between her and David. My phone vibrated, and I looked at the message.
“What’s that smile?”
“It’s David. He said he already invited her.” I smiled. David and I always had been connected.
“Great, so what now?”
“Now I need you to take me to the grocery store.”
Chapter 14
I sent text messages to Red and Joe inviting them to the house for dinner. Dixie got the bright idea of inviting the other members from her dog class, so I sent messages to them too. I was surprised that all of them accepted, especially given the short notice. We made trips to a grocery store, a liquor store, and a bakery.
When we got home, Red’s truck was in front. When we pulled into the garage, he came from the side yard.
“I fixed the latch on your gate.” He held up a screwdriver.
“Thank you.” I lifted the rear hatch of the SUV and reached in to get some of the bags, but he wasn’t having it.
“I’ve got these. You unlock the door.” He picked up most of the bags, which were so heavy I’d actually taken advantage of the grocery bagger’s offer to load my groceries into the car. I was still amazed this was a service offered by grocery stores. In my corner of Indiana, the grocery bagger was extinct, just like gas station attendants who pumped your gas.
He hauled the bags into the house and got the serving items down from the upper shelves.
When the heavy lifting was done, it dawned on me that he should be at work. “Why aren’t you working?”
He sighed. “I’m on paid leave for a few days while Internal Affairs investigates Dallas Simpson’s claims.”
I gasped.
“Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine.”
“It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.” I couldn’t help the tears that came or the overwhelming desire to hug him, mixed with a desire to stay away since I was the cause of the pain. Eventually, the desire to help overwhelmed everything else, and I reached out and hugged him as tightly as I could.
We stood together, holding on to each other in the middle of the kitchen. As I cried into his chest, something shifted. I wasn’t clear who was comforting whom.
Dixie had gone to a nearby gas station to get ice. She walked into the kitchen. “Lilly Ann, I bought—” She stopped. “Sorry.”
We pulled apart.
I sniffed and reached for a paper towel to dry my face.
“I always seem to be interrupting you two.”
“You weren’t interrupting anything.” I blew my nose.
“Well, dagnabbit, why are you crying?” She scowled at Red, who held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Am I going to have to smack some sense into you again?”
I laughed. “No, you’ve hit me enough for one day.”
Red gave me a sideways glance but wisely excused himself and went outside.
I quickly told Dixie about his paid leave.
She swore but then turned to me. “Now what?”
“Now, we have to figure out how Dallas Simpson murdered Heather and Keri Lynn and we need to do it quickly…and without Red’s help.”
She nodded. “Okay, then we’ll need to be very careful tonight.” She glanced out the back window to make sure he wasn’t standing nearby. “If we’re going to put your plan in motion, we’re going to have to be really careful.”
“I know. I’ll try to keep him busy.”
As it turned out, keeping Red busy and distracted wasn’t a problem at all. Planning a last-minute grill/housewarming/meet-my-son/allow-me-to-pick-your-brains-for-information-to-catch-a-killer party was a lot of work.
Red not only mowed my grass; he also edged it. It was winter, and the grass was in hibernation, but the unseasonably warm weather had started
the growth season earlier than usual. Plus, the house had been vacant for a while and the yard was overgrown and neglected. In addition to the yard work, he had already fixed the latch on the gate so that intruders would have to, at least, reach over the top of the five-foot wooden privacy gate to unlatch it. He wanted to include a lock, but I convinced him it wouldn’t be needed. He re-keyed all of the locks in the house and garage and trimmed the hedges, which revealed a surprise.
The hedges in front of the house were so tall and overgrown that they hid a good portion of the house. When they were trimmed, they revealed a beautifully weathered piece of ironwork.
He marinated the steaks and chicken. When it seemed like he might finish a task early, Dixie or I found a new one.
Red was a tireless worker, and the yard looked amazing. All of his hard work did come at a price. I took him a cold glass of water. As he drank, an easterly wind blew and rustled the leaves. I got a whiff of a pungent odor.
I sniffed, trying to find the source. After a few seconds, I realized the origin of the odor was Red. I frowned.
He took his sweatshirt and wiped his forehead. “I know. I’m definitely ripe.”
“Ah…yeah. I’m so sorry. I appreciate all of your hard work.” I glanced around. “The yard looks amazing. The meat is marinating. Everything is just about ready, but…”
He nodded. “Yep. As soon as I drag these branches out of the way, I’m going to run home and take a shower.”
I reached up and kissed him. “Salty.” I smacked my lips and hurried out of range of his hand, which threatened to swipe my bottom.
He left to get cleaned up, promising to return soon. Dixie and I continued getting things ready.
Monica Jill was the first to arrive. She knocked on the door and came in carrying a bottle of wine and a gift bag.
“I told you on the phone you didn’t need to bring anything.”
She snorted. “No Southern girl arrives at a party empty-handed.”
I thanked her and placed the bottle on the makeshift bar we’d made from an old chest.
David and Madison were next.
Dixie and I were standing in the living room when they pulled up. We both noted that David opened her door and that the amount of personal space separating them was minimal.
“They look good together,” Dixie said.
I smiled. “Agreed. She’s really nice too.”
Madison was holding Aggie when she climbed out of the car. David then opened the back, and Turbo slowly climbed out of the car.
They came in and David made the introductions, although Dixie was the only person she didn’t know so far.
Madison handed a freshly groomed and clean-smelling Aggie over to me. They had placed bright pink ribbons on her ears, which I was surprised she’d permitted to remain. Normally, she removed them before I could get her home from the groomers.
Aggie gave me a lick and then snuggled close to my chest.
I held her up so I could stare at her more closely. After a while, I turned to Madison. “What’s wrong with my dog?”
Her eyes grew large. “What do you mean? Is something wrong?”
“There’s a lot of people here, not to mention food.” I waved a hand to a tray of hors d’oeuvres nearby. “Aggie should be barking and running in circles and trying to convince everyone here that I starve her, that she never gets any love and attention, and that she deserves to eat everything.”
A wave of relief ran across Madison’s face. She released a deep breath and then smiled. “It’s the massage. It usually makes the dogs very relaxed and mellow.” She laughed. “Plus, she had several hours of playtime and an oatmeal bath.”
I stared at Aggie, whose eyes were half-closed. She looked about ready to take a nap. “She looks like she’s drugged.”
She laughed. “I assure you, she’s just…chill.”
“If you think Aggie’s mellow, look at Turbo.” David pointed to the Plott hound. He had stretched out on the rug and was asleep.
We were so engrossed in conversation we didn’t notice Joe had come in.
He walked up and saw us watching Turbo sleep. “What have you done to my dog?”
We hesitated a moment and then everyone burst out laughing. It took some time for us to collect ourselves to share how much the massage relaxed his dog.
Joe walked over to Turbo. He had to shake the dog to wake him up. Turbo lifted his head and his tail wagged. He got up and stretched. Joe bent down to pet him. Turbo yawned and gave his face a lick.
When Joe stood up, he gave the dog a command to lie down. The dog obeyed immediately, but rather than the anxious excitement he normally showed, he slowly slid down.
Joe shook his head. “That’s going to be the last massage you get.”
Dr. Morgan arrived next. He, too, came bearing gifts. He brought a six-pack of beer. It was clear he’d picked it up at a nearby gas station, but it was the thought that mattered. I thanked him and escorted him outside.
Dixie’s husband, Beau, came next. He brought Chyna and Leia, which was probably the only thing that could possibly motivate Aggie and Turbo to play. Outside, they engaged in a rousing game of chase.
Joe sat at the table drinking a beer, watching the dogs play.
“Feeling better?” I asked.
He nodded. “Actually, I do. Turbo is technically the property of the Lighthouse Dunes Police Department.” He spoke slowly, with very little emotion, although I could tell by the look in his eyes, he felt very passionate about Turbo. “He’s considered a tool, like a gun or a billy club. He’s not supposed to socialize and play with other dogs.”
I glanced up as Turbo played with Chyna, Leia, and Aggie.
“But he’s a dog. He needs companionship and play.” I struggled to find the right words to voice my objection. Eventually, I gave up. “That just seems cruel.”
“I could be fired for that.” He nodded toward the dogs. “But I refuse to treat him like…a tool. He’s my partner. He risks his life every day. He deserves some fun.”
I patted Joe’s hand. I already liked him and was very glad that such a kind man cared about my daughter. My opinion of him went up several points.
“So what’s the real reason we’re here?” He took a sip of his beer. “What are you up to?”
I stared at him and tried to look shocked. I must have failed because he laughed.
Eventually, I gave up. “Is it that obvious?”
He shrugged. “Red thought you were up to something, the way you kept finding jobs for him.”
Now I didn’t have to fake the shock. It was genuine. “He never let on.”
He grinned. “So what’s up?”
“I know what I saw. I’m not crazy. I saw someone murdered and that someone looked a lot like Keri Lynn.”
“What makes you think it was Dallas who did it?” He looked at me. “He’s not the only male working there. If you didn’t see the man’s face, why couldn’t it have been someone else?”
I thought about that. Why was I so sure the murderer was Dallas? “I don’t know, but I just know it was him.”
“Okay, so let’s say Dallas did murder someone.” He turned to face me. “We know it couldn’t have been Keri Lynn. Who was it?”
“I think it was Heather. She was one of the staff that worked there.” I explained how I’d met her the day I boarded Aggie and how much she looked like Keri Lynn.
We were intent on our conversation, and I hadn’t noticed the others had joined us and were standing nearby listening until I heard a gasp. I turned in time to see Madison’s face lose color.
“Oh. My. God.”
David pulled out one of the chairs and helped her into a seat.
“I’m so sorry.” I turned to David. “Get her something to drink.”
He hurried over to the bar and came back with a glass
of wine.
Madison took a sip.
I was glad to see some of the color start to return. I clasped her free hand. “I’m so sorry, dear.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I wasn’t great friends with her.” She took another sip of wine. “She didn’t really socialize with the rest of us.”
“Was she…” I looked for the right words.
“Was she having an affair with Dallas?” she asked.
I nodded. “It was just an impression. When she talked about him, she seemed very…familiar.”
“Familiar is one way of putting it.” She hesitated a moment. “We all knew there was something going on between the two of them. He tried to get it on with everyone, but the rest of us had too much self-respect to get involved with the boss, especially when his wife was right there.”
“That must have taken a lot of…guts for them to have an affair with the wife right there.”
Madison shrugged. “Maybe. Keri Lynn did a fair amount of flirting. She and the chef, Justin, seemed awfully cozy.”
Monica Jill smacked her hand down on the table. “I told you there was something going on between those two.”
We took napkins and wiped up the beverages that spilled from Monica Jill’s enthusiastic outburst.
“He was totally and completely head over heels for Keri Lynn.” Madison shrugged. “It’s easy to see why. She was the real brains behind Pet Haven. She’s the one who had the ideas and did all of the thinking. Dallas was the schmoozer. He met with bankers and golfed with the people he thought could help with their business.”
“Did it bother him? The fling with Justin, or that his wife was the brains?” Joe asked.
Madison was silent for a moment and then shrugged. “He never acted like it bothered him. In fact…I think…I got the impression he liked it, at least the thinking part. It meant he didn’t have to exert his own brain.”
“Sounds like a louse,” Beau said.
“Well, he is a bit of a louse.” She shook her head. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but men fell in love with Keri Lynn. It was like she hypnotized them or something. They fell over themselves to make her happy, no matter what making her happy did to them. Dallas and Justin both adored Keri Lynn. I don’t think there’s anything they wouldn’t have done for her.”
